Miitopia: Heroes of Light
by Imagigamegirl
Summary: Miitopia was once a peaceful land. A dark threat shadowed the world as Miis' faces were stolen and placed upon monsters. Now they swarm the land, attacking innocent Miis. However, a simple traveler steps up to the challenge. With him and his colorful band of friends, they will aim to stop this darkness. Basically retelling game with a few changes. K plus for dark themes.
1. A Hero Arrives

After getting this game for Christmas, I loved it! So much adventuring and so many bonds. I had to make a story for it based on my game. The only difference is Melody isn't going to be the main character this time (Shocker, ain't it?). So, without further ado, let the games begin.

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Looking down at the many colorful lands in this great world, this is the world of Miitopia. A world where every Mii can live in peace and harmony. Or at least...it was.

It then came without warning. Darkness swallowed the land as a threat appears before all innocent Miis. Faces from many Miis then ripped off their heads and were held in the clutches of this dark menace. Faceless Miis trembled as the dark shadow cackled.

A large, demonic Mii dressed like a dark magician with a shadow robe and golden wristbands smiled wickedly as thousands of Mii faces were floating around him. He also wore a medallion around his neck with an open eye symbol that glowed as he held all faces around him. This unspeakably evil Mii was called the Dark Lord.

Then, to add insult to such an injury, he placed all the faces upon monsters. The monsters grew in strength and swarmed the land, attacking innocent Miis. All faceless Miis were powerless against them. They only appear as an empty shell with a soul that cannot express who they are. Without a face, what makes a Mii? They could not speak, see, or express emotions. They are nothing.

Many brave Miis who still had their faces tried to step up against the Dark Lord, but none were strong enough to prevail. Soon, their faces ended up on monsters as well. With no one able to stop the Dark Lord, all seemed lost. But there is a prophecy. "A hero and his friends will be the light that can fight the darkness. Faces will be restored and peace will return." But who has the courage and strength to stand against the Dark Lord?

One day, in the kingdom of Greenhorne, a simple 5' 8" traveler walked through the lush fields of the fertile land. He had black, mildly frizzy, hair, brown eyes and wore raggy black clothes. His name was Eric Northington. He looked around the land and softly said to himself, "So this must be Miitopia. And to think, the sailor that brought me here told me this was a dangerous land." He smirked as he saw a Rock Moth fluttering gently not too far away from him.

Looking around more, he stopped. "Hm?" This was an odd sight. A glowing orb with a random Mii's pair of eyes hovered down close to the Rock Moth. After circling the moth, the orb lunged at the moth and there was a flash of light. Once the light faded, the pair of eyes seemed to have disappeared. However, when the moth turned around, facing Eric, it had the eyes on it!

To Eric, this was not only a disturbing sight but also a mildly terrifying one as the Rock Moth hissed and looked more menacing. Defenseless, Eric backed up then took off running. The Rock Moth hissed louder but did not chase him. After a few minutes of running, Eric stopped to catch his breath. "What the heck was that? It was a Rock Moth one minute...and the next, it turned into some sort of...monster." He was starting to understand why that sailor told him to beware of this land. But what was with the floating pair of eyes? Why did it turn that Rock Moth into a monster? What is going on?

He then stopped his critical thought process when he looked around and realized he was lost. Before he could figure out how to get back on the path he was on, he spotted a nearby town. "A village. Do they know what's going on? Maybe there's someone there that can help." He headed towards the village, ready to warn any innocent civilians.

After 5 minutes of walking, he reached the entrance of the town. One man stood nearby, leaning back against the wall of a house. He had smooth black hair with a long strand almost covering his right eye. He wore red villager clothes and seemed carefree. "Man, bit boring today. Then again, nothing really ever happens here in Greenhorne." Eric went up to the man. Surely he can help, right? "Excuse me, sir?"

The man looked up at him and replied lazily, "Oh. You must be new here. Name's Akira. What brings you around here, stranger?" Eric hastily explains what he saw back outside of town. After listening to the whole spiel, Akira asked, "Monsters with people's faces?" He then broke out laughing. Eric's expression turned sour as he replied, "It's the truth!" Akira folded his arms behind his head with a smirk and said, "Yeah, right. Greenhorne's a peaceful place. Like some monsters with people's faces are going to come barging in." Eric huffed and tried other citizens.

Eric went all around the village and met a young lady working a food stand named Se-young, a young child with frizzy black hair like Eric's named Rui-Lin, Rui-Lin's nervous mother with yellow wavy hair named Sara, the lovey-dovey couple Sho and Irina, and a sarcastic guy with brown hair as well as chin hair named Pedro. No matter who he talked to, however, none of them believed him. Eric was getting more frustrated and worried by the minute.

Before he could shout his frustration, he spotted a sort of diplomatic elderly man at the edge of town. He had gray hair, a gray mustache, and he wore a red suit and hat. Eric decided to try and warn him. The man looked at him and said, "Ah, welcome adventurer. I'm the mayor of this town. Mayor Bowen. I take it you spoke to all our townsfolk here?" Eric gave a nod in response. "Greenhorne is a nice town. But I'm the mayor, so I kind of have to say that." Eric could not help but smirk a bit as the mayor said that. But he had to focus.

Just as he was about to warn the mayor about what was going on, something caught the mayor's attention as he turned to the horizon. Soon, other citizens looked the same direction. Akira's eyes widened as he stated, "What is that?" Se-young stated as she looked around until she spotted what everyone was staring at, "What? Where? -! Oh!" Rui-Lin looked up as well. "What is that, mommy?" Sara could not respond as she trembled at the sight. The lovey-dovey couple hugged each other close as they looked in the same general direction. The Mayor finally spoke as he said, "Oh no...it's...i-it's...it's Dark Lord Bill Cipher!"

Dark clouds filled the blue sky as the Dark Lord appeared. His face showed a sick grin as his piercing blue eyes locked its vision on the town of Greenhorne. He cackled as he looked down at the terrified civilians. "'Oh no, it's Dark Lord Bill Cipher~!' Right? Isn't that what you're all thinking?" After another good chuckle, he continued, "To put it simply, I've come to wreak havoc and terror on this miserable little world. And guess what? I'm starting here, people of Greenhorne! Hahahahaha!"

Eric's eyes were wide. This was worse than he feared. Not only are there monsters now, but dark lords too? Suddenly, leaving home seemed to be a mistake. Dark Lord Bill then stated, "Prepare to taste true fear!" His medallion glowed as he raised his hands up. Se-young's face then glowed and was ripped off her head. Akira let out a yelp as his face followed the same face. Rui-Lin wailed as his face came off next. Sara screamed and shouted, "My little Rui-Lin!" Sho then screamed next as he shouted, "No! Irina, my love!" Her face was taken as well.

Mayor Bowen's eyes were filled with terror as he stated, "Oh, it's terrible! Th-their faces!" Eric could only stand and watch in horror as the stolen faces hovered around Dark Lord Bill Cipher. The Dark Lord then stated, "Hm. This will do nicely for now. So, listen up, you faceless freaks! Get used to a life of wordless terror, cause that's what you're stuck with!" All faceless Miis trembled in terror. A few even curled up and hugged themselves. Dark Lord Bill continued, "And for those that have been spared…" Eric's attention finally turned to the Dark Lord. "Take a nice long look at your poor little friends...AND DESPAIR! Hahaha..hahahaha! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" On that note, he vanished with the stolen faces.

The dark clouds remained over town and Miis broke into a chaotic panic. Those without faces were in despair and terror as they curled up and shook, unsure what to do. Those with faces started running around and screaming. Sho mourned the loss of his beautiful lover's face. The mayor only trembled, believing all hope is lost and they are all doomed. Eric looked over at Sara, who wept for her now faceless child.

With all this chaos, Eric realized the great danger that has come upon this land. This was big. And it was bad. He had to SOMETHING. He approached Sara, in hope of comforting her. Sara continued to weep as she stated, "My poor baby Rui-Lin…" Eric gently put his hand on her shoulder and she looked up with a jolt, tears streaming down her face. "It's you…please. Young man, help find my Rui-Lin. Please, I beg you." Her voice was cracked and tears continued going down her cheeks as she looked at him with pleading eyes.

Eric was unsure. He was no warrior or hero...why ask him? But looking into her eyes, he could not say no. If no one else is going to bravely save the innocent Miis, he may as well try himself. He held her hands and looked at her with a determined expression as he stated, "I will do everything in my power to find him." With that statement, Sara relaxed and smiled through her tears. "Thank you...thank you ever so much. The journey will be dangerous...so please." She reached into her pockets and placed something in his hand. "Take this. It's our family's lucky charm." It was a purple charm with a guardian angel wings symbol on it. "I fear the Dark Lord still lurks nearby. May it protect you." Eric looked down at it and placed it in his pocket. "Thank you." With that, he took off to the other side of town. He was not sure how he was going to save Rui-Lin, but he was going to try all he can.


	2. Courage Creates a Warrior

It was still mildly gray and dark as the clouds continued to cover the sky. Eric started thinking to himself about how he was going to save Rui-Lin from the Dark Lord without losing his face. He could fight, but there isn't really a chance of him winning. He does not have magic or even armor plus a weapon. He can't just run away either.

Before he could continue his thoughts, a dark shadow lurked over him. Eric stopped, eyes wide, and looked up. Dark Lord Bill Cipher hovered over him and chuckled. "Is someone trying to be the big hero?" Eric froze, intimidated and mildly afraid. Not only does the Dark Lord have the advantage over him by power, but also size. He had to stay brave though. He swore he would help get Rui-Lin's face back for Sara and he was not going to leave without trying.

He stood his ground and looked up at Dark Lord Bill while shouting, "Give Rui-Lin's face back!" Rui-Lin's face then hovered down between the two. Dark Lord Bill Cipher smirked as he replied, "What? This ol' thing? Hmm...maybe I will give this one back to you. But, you'll have to earn it." Eric's expression turned to a confused one as he pondered what he meant.

Then, with a snap of his fingers, Dark Lord Bill Cipher summoned a sort of yellow slime monster. "Tell me. How good are you in a fight?" Eric's eyes widened. Oh no. Rui-Lin's face then attached to the slime monster. It smiled wickedly and looked at Eric with malicious intent. Dark Lord Bill then stated, "Be seeing you...if you survive, that is! Hahaha. Hahahahaha!" He then disappeared, leaving Eric alone with the monster.

Eric just looked at the monster, only able to say, "Uhh…" as he was unsure how to get out of this mess. The monster just growled, then lunged at him to attack. Eric gasped and shut his eyes, bracing for impact. But then, there was a bright glow coming from his pocket. The slime monster backed up and Eric looked down at it. He pulled what was glowing out of his pocket and realized it was the charm Sara gave him. It floated out of his hands and there was a bright flash of light.

Eric opened his eyes after the blinding flash and looked around. He was in a sort of mystic area, bathed in colorful light. A gentle voice then rings out. **"Eric…Eric, can you hear me?"** Eric's eyes widened. What was happening? Either way, he responded, "Y...yes?" The voice answered, **"Ho, ho! It does seem like you're hearing me. What good fortune this is! Now you may not believe this...but I'm what you may call a guardian spirit."** The only reaction Eric could give was having his eyes wide while stating, "Whaaaaat?" The charm has a guardian spirit? Does Sara know this?

 **"Please. Just hear me out."** Eric calmed down a bit and carefully listened. **"It seems you are in a bit of trouble. Would you like some help?"** Honestly, Eric almost wanted to say no. He was not the type of boy to rely on others for assistance. But...given the circumstances, he felt the need to ask. He gave a small nod. The voice replied, **"Ho, ho! Excellent. I, uh, bestoweth upon thee the awesome power of the guardian!"** Magic then swirled around Eric and he gained a bit of knowledge. He now knew the power of jobs.

"Jobs," Eric questioned out loud. The voice said to him, **"Jobs are the key to defeating monsters. Many Miis also have them to make a living, but if you are going to face that monster and rescue Rui-Lin, you're going to need one. Now."** Different panels then appeared in front of him, each with a symbol. A sword, a cane, a staff, a dagger, a microphone, and a frying pan. Each had a name below it. The sword was for "Warrior," cane for "Mage," staff for "Cleric," dagger for "Thief," microphone for "Pop Star," and frying pan for "Chef." The voice continued, **"Choose what job you wish to have to help you defend and fight."**

Eric looked at his choices. He definitely can't see himself as a pop star. He was told to be good at singing, but he was _really_ shy. Chef? Doesn't exactly sound like a job for fighting monsters. Thieves, to him, were just sneaky miscreants. He then looked at the last 3 options: Warrior, Mage, and Cleric. He wanted to be strong and ready to fight anything in his path. He can be brave enough if he needs to be. He finally knew his choice. He pressed his hand on the Warrior panel.

Magic then swirled around him as his outfit changed. He wore silver armor with a black cape and black feather at the top of his helmet. In his hand, a sword appeared. Eric looked down at himself and softly said, "Would you look at that…" A smile showed on his face. Oh yeah, he could get used to this.

The voice rang out again, **"Ho, ho! This is just what you need to deal with the Dark Lord's monsters. Now fight, O Eric! Make your foes fear you!"** With his confidence built up, Eric put on a determined expression and nodded. With another flash of light, he was back on Easin Hills in front of the mini Rui-Lin slime monster. Eric took a battle stance and said to himself, "Here goes nothing."

The slime attacked first, hitting him. Not too bad of damage, but did mildly hurt. Eric swung his sword at the monster, causing a great deal of damage. The two went back and forth a couple times in attacking until Eric took a deep breath and swung really hard. With that swing, the final blow knocked slime monster Rui-Lin unconscious. Eric smiled victoriously.

The beast then glowed and disappeared with Rui-Lin's face appearing as a glowing orb once more. It then flew off back towards the Greenhorne village. In place of where the monster lied was a dish of slime jelly. Odd, but Eric placed it in his inventory then sat down with an exhale. Wow. His first monster defeat.

The guardian's voice then spoke. **"Excellent work, young Eric. Now the child should be safe. Things are looking up! You should head back to Greenhorne village to make sure Rui-Lin's face found its way back to Rui-Lin."** Eric nodded and stood back up, heading back to the village.

* * *

Back at the village, Rui-Lin continued sitting on the ground with his mother Sara. Sara continued to worry for him until she saw a small glow in the distance. Rui-Lin's face then flew towards them. Sara stepped back as it flew in a circle around Rui-Lin, then reattached to him. Rui-Lin blinked, then smiled. He then shouted, "Yippee! I'm back!" Sara had tears reappear in her eyes; however, they were tears of joy. She picked up Rui-Lin and hugged him while shouting, "Rui-Lin, my baby! Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?" Rui-Lin chuckled and said, "I'm fine, mommy." Sara continued hugging as she said, "Oh thank the stars…"

Eric arrived just in time to see this heartwarming reunion. He stood to the side with a small smile as he watched. Sara looked at him and said while walking up to him, "Thank you, kind traveler. Please, take this gift as a mother's appreciation." She handed him a small bag. Inside was gold coins. About 200 gold to be exact. Eric's eyes widened and he stated, "Oh no, I...I couldn't." Sara replied, "I insist. The least I could do for you since you have helped save my little boy." Well, since she insisted, he puts the money in his pocket and replied, "Welp...thanks."

Sara then said, "Come along now, Rui-Lin. We should head inside where we'll be safe." Rui-Lin nodded and held his mother's hand as the two headed to their cottage. Once they left, another blinding flash filled Eric's vision. He found himself back in the realm where he met the guardian spirit. The spirit's voice rang out, **"Ho, ho! Wonderful work, child. Now then, Eric. I have another task for you. You have seen the deeds of Dark Lord Bill Cipher. He's made quite the mess, and that's putting it mildly. So I wish to commission you to defeat the vile Bill Cipher and save this world!"**

That's a lot to take in at once. One minute, Eric was a simple traveler looking for a new home, and the next, he is asked to be a hero to stop some great Dark Lord. Eric wasn't sure. Could he do it? He was lucky to come out of that slime monster battle alive. Then again...if no one else can stop him, maybe he _should_ try. Not for reward or self-proclamation; but rather, for the innocent Miis that are attacked by Dark Lord Bill Cipher. If he is going to plan a life here, he may as well help save it.

He finally looked up and said, "I will do it." The voice replied, **"I'm so very happy to hear that! Your new powers should help you contend with Bill Cipher. Now, Warrior Eric. Go forth! Defeat the Dark Lord! I expect great things from you."** With that statement, a flash of light put Eric back in the center of Greenhorne village.

Eric looked towards the exit of town, which lead to Easin Hills. " _This is going to be one heck of an adventure…,_ " Eric stated in his thoughts. He then headed forward, ready for what lies ahead.


	3. Warrior Meets the Wand Wielder

Along his path, he came across a few monsters that attacked. Mostly Rock Moths, like he found before he arrived in the village. They weren't too bad to fight though. Once they were defeated, the monster would disappear and the face of the Mii that was trapped upon it was sent back to its rightful owner. He even got a couple snacks out of it. It was mainly butterfly honey, but he couldn't complain.

However, when he got caught in another battle, this time there was a rock moth and a sort of goblin. "Oh you've got to be kidding me," he shouted. His health was already below half. Of all times to face a possibly stronger monster, this was one of the worst times. However, Eric stood his ground to fight. He knocked the Rock Moth back as it hissed and lunged at him. The Goblin then punched him, knocking him to the ground. Eric felt weak and his limbs were trembling.

Eric's eyes widened as he realized that he was going to lose. He was going to die and his face will be stolen. "N-no...no…" He started backing away, limp and weak. The Goblin then lunged at him and Eric yelped, putting his arms up in front of his face, shutting his eyes, and bracing for the final blow. An attack hit, but he felt no pain. Then a different voice rang out.

"Oh no, you don't! Get back!"

It sounded female. Eric finally opened his eyes, wondering what was going on. Then, his eyes widened at the sight he saw. A young girl. 5' 5", short brown curly hair, eyes as brown as milk chocolate, and wearing a blue mage apprentice robe with a red sash. She held an apprentice wand in her hand as she stood in front of Eric in defense. The Goblin growled at her.

"Run, you monster," she shouted as she waved her wand, firing a fireball at him. The Goblin yelped in pain, then went unconscious, releasing the Mii's face. The Rock Moth lunged at her, but the mage hit it with her wand and it went unconscious as well. The Mii's face was released and the two faces flew off back to their owners.

Eric slowly and carefully stood back up, softly saying to himself, "Incredible." Once the faces were gone, the girl then turned to Eric, panting a bit. "The heck...were you doing...running around like that?" She had an annoyed expression showing as she walked up to him, waving her arms back to motion where the monsters were before. "You know that green creature with the big nose? That. Was a Goblin. A level 1 or 2 Warrior against two monsters, including a Goblin? Are you insane?!"

She was so close to him, he could faintly catch the smell of ash from the fire spell she did on that Goblin. All he could muster in his shock was, "U-um...uh…" The girl's expression relaxed as she let out a sigh and gave Eric some space. "Alright. Can't blame you." She placed her wand through the side sash of her robe like it was a tool belt, then crossed her arms as she stated, "No one really can expect what monsters are going to appear. ...I had to outrun a Golem the other day." She glanced to the side on that last statement.

Eric just quietly replied, "I...I see…" He then circled her, looking her over. A mage. A level 2 mage, if he had to guess. What was she doing outside of town? Why did she help him? He thought all, or at least most, of the Mii's faces were stolen.

The girl gave him a questionable look as she asked, "What's with that look?" He replied, "You're...a mage. And you still have your face."

She gave him an unamused look as she replied, "And you're a warrior and you also still have your face. I don't think there are too many warriors left in this world, especially with faces." She then looked to the side, with a small glare, as she finished, "All thanks to that creep."

Eric's eyes widened. "Creep? You mean the giant dark being? With pointed purple hair and a shadow robe? Piercing blue eyes and sinister smile?" The girl replied, "And a sense of being a real jerk-wad? Yes." Eric glanced down. Just as he thought. To answer her wordless confusion on why he asked, he replied, "Then you've met Dark Lord Bill Cipher then. I don't get it. Why is he terrorizing this world? What's the point?!" He seemed frustrated.

The girl simply replied while looking down, "I don't know...but it's kind of better than how things were before."

Eric looked back at her, with shock. "All this? But...there are monsters everywhere that could kill you!"

She looked back up, with anger boiling in her gentle eyes. She started storming up to Eric as she stated, "Miis aren't perfect either. They can think that they can choose what job you should get or what you should look like for _them_. At least if a monster is trying to hurt me, it's trying because it's instinct. Not some...stupid judgemental opinion, wanting me to be something that isn't myself!"

Eric backed up a small bit, a bit fearful. This girl knows magic. If she wanted to, she could burn him to a crisp. He tried to state his reason for his outburst, but all that could come out was, "U-uh...um…"

The girl's expression relaxed when she realized how steamed up she was getting. She let out a sigh and backed down. "I'm sorry...that was out of line." Her voice was gentle and calm once more. "It's just…" She lightly hugged her own arms, looking off to the horizon. "Dark Lord Bill Cipher is here...and monsters are attacking, even if no one asked or wanted him to. And now...now even my own home isn't safe anymore...so I wasn't able to stay there." Her gaze turned down as her eyes looked mildly misty.

Eric had no idea what she's gone through, but it looked like it was a lot for her, even if she is close to around his age. His mild fear faded as he took a deep breath and gently took one of her hands. She looked up, a bit surprised, as he asked, "What's your name? I'm sorry I didn't ask earlier...I guess I just got distracted."

She offered a small friendly smile as she replied, "It's okay. ...My name's Melody." Melody...that's a really lovely name for her. Eric repeated it to himself. "Melody…" He then showed the same friendly smile she did and shook the hand he held. "My name is Eric."

Melody's smile grew a small bit as she replied, "Cool name you have there, Eric. Nice to meet you." He stated, "Same to you. I'm kind of new to this world. You say this is your home?" She replied, "Eh, it's more like the village of Greenhorne is. I've lived there my whole life." Curious, Eric asked, "What made you leave? Was it...because of the Dark Lord's attack?"

Melody's smile faded as she replied, "...Mm...more or less." Before Eric could ask more, he then looked up at the sky. He did not realize how late it was getting until he saw the sun setting. Melody looked the same way. "Looks like night's coming. It gets a bit more dangerous to be outside at night due to the monsters running around."

Eric stated, "Well...I should probably find a place to stay then. I guess I'll see you around?" He headed back to the village. Melody stood there for a solid moment though, then said out loud, "Wait." Eric stopped and turned around. "It's getting dark fast...and I know an inn nearby where we can stay. Do you...want to head there with me?"

Eric stood there for a minute, looking back at the setting sun. The town is a bit far away and he is fairly certain that if another monster attacked, he would not stand a chance given his condition. "Well...if it's really nearby...sure." Melody smiled then pulled out her wand. "Fire." When she spoke that single word, a small kindle of a fire was formed on the tip of her wand. It was like a torch. "Alright. This way." She headed east as Eric followed behind her.

Eric then asked, "So this inn. Does it cost a lot to stay in?" Melody replied, "Nah. The innkeepers now put up a sign, stating all weary adventurers can rest for free, due to the monsters running amok now. I've been going to different inns for a while now, actually."

Soon, they reach their destination. A two-floored cottage with a large sign that said: "Inn" stood there. Warm light shone from the windows and the door was open for them. Melody's little flame on her wand fizzled out as she placed it through her waist sash. She then took off her hat and looked at Eric. "You want to share a room or do you want to rest alone?"

Before Eric could answer, the guardian spirit's voice rang out. " **Ho, ho. If you ask me, I think you two should share a room and get to know each other."** Melody was surprised by the voice. "Wait...I know you. You're that voice that called me to help Eric here." Eric now looked up and asked, "You called her for me?"

" **Traveling and battling alone can be quite difficult, as you saw today. So yes, I called Melody here to join you on your quest."** Melody looked to Eric and asked, "Quest?" Eric brought her up to speed on what was going on. Melody understood the threat of monsters and Dark Lord Bill Cipher. When hearing that he was going after the Dark Lord, she was surprised.

"Well, of course, you can't do that alone! Many warriors and other powerful Miis have tried, but all failed." She looked up, motioning her next question to the guardian spirit. "So how are we supposed to stop him?"

" **The warriors all tried alone. But with help from friends and companions, you have a better fighting chance than those before. Especially if you build your bonds. The deeper your friendship, the more powerful you become."** Melody and Eric both looked at each other.

Melody, after being silent for a moment, showed a tiny smile as she stated, "Well...I'm willing to take down that jerk-wad of a Dark Lord. Mind if I tag along with you? Any team could use a mage, I'm sure." Eric wasn't fond of the idea of having to rely on her...but she seemed really nice and reliable. And if he was going to take down the Dark Lord, he was probably going to need all the help he could get.

"Sure. You can join," he said to her. Melody smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. She then said, "Now, if the voice says building bonds make us stronger, then I suggest we room together. Each room has two twin-sized beds for one person to sleep on each." She heads to the first room on the first floor. Eric smiled a bit and followed.

They entered the room, which had wooden flooring, lace curtains, a coat rack, and the two twin-sized beds. Melody went to the one on the left and took off her mage hat and robe, hanging it on the coat rack. Her purple villager clothes showed as she laid down on the bed with a content sigh.

Eric took off his armor and set down his sword, showing his black villager clothes, and laid down on the second bed. "This is nice." Melody replied with a simple, "Mm-hm." Eric's stomach then growled loudly. He hugged his middle and blushed a bit. Melody chuckled a tiny bit and looked over at him. "I guess you haven't had dinner yet, huh?" Eric looked away from her and replied, "...No."

Melody got up and sat in front of him while saying, "Well. Let's portion out our food then." She pulled out a couple jars of butterfly honey and a tray of goblin meat. Eric sat up and showed a dish of slime jelly and a couple jars of butterfly honey. Melody said, "Mother told me a while ago that eating food like this can help you grow stronger as well. Like Goblin Ham can make your attacks a bit stronger. Here, I'll let you try it." She handed him the meat, then took one of her jars of butterfly honey. Holding a spoon, she started eating.

Eric looked down at the Goblin ham, hesitant to eat it. I mean, he knew where it came from. But his demanding stomach told him otherwise. He picked off a piece and took a bite. Tender, barely juicy...but not bad. He continued eating as Melody finished the jar of butterfly honey.

Once both adventurers were full, Melody yawned as her eyes drooped a bit. She then stated, "Well, I'm going to bed. You get some good rest too, 'kay? We got a lot of monsters to fight tomorrow." Eric set aside the dish and laid down in bed, tucking himself in. Eric then asked her before she lied down, "What exactly is our plan tomorrow?"

Propping herself up on her elbow, she stated, "We're going to find the Greenhorne citizens' faces. We'll look all around Easin Hills, Strange Grove, and Riverdeep Cavern if we have to. Do you know who we need to save?" Eric replied, "Well, I already saved Rui-Lin...so I think we need to save Pedro, Akira, Se-young, and Irina." Melody added, "So 4 people...that doesn't sound too bad. With the monsters we'll face beforehand, we should grow strong enough to beat the monsters and save the faces."

Eric stated, "Cool...well then...goodnight." Melody replied, "Goodnight." The two laid on their sides, closing their eyes and falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Hours later, Eric started to stir from his sleep by the sound of whimpering. Wait...whimpering? He sat up, rubbing his eyes, and looked at Melody's bed. She was curled up and whimpering a bit. Must be a nightmare. She also murmured in her sleep, "No...no...get away from them…" Eric quickly went to her side and started gently shaking her while saying, "Melody? Melody, wake up!"

Melody did wake up, sitting up and panting as she tried to recollect her thoughts. "No..no no no…" She held her head, tears rolling down her cheeks. Eric sat in front of her on the bed and asked, "Melody? What happened?" Melody's voice was soft and filled with mild terror. "He took them...my dad and mom's faces...he took them." Eric's eyes widened. "What…? Bill?" Melody's breaths were shaky and more tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Eric carefully held her hands and said gently, "Hey hey...shh...it's okay."

Then to his surprise, she hugged him, burying her face in his chest. He jolted and his arms were out. He was kind of new to this sort of action after so many years...but he lowered his arms and gently rubbed her back. He then tried humming softly. Usually, a gentle melody calms him down. Judging by her body starting to relax, it seemed to work for her as well. Melody finally managed to steady her voice as she said, "I'm sorry…"

Eric rubbed his hand through her curly hair and said, "No...nothing to be sorry for. Do you...want to talk about it?" Melody was silent for a moment...but she then replied, "I guess…" Eric remained silent so he could hear her out. Melody took a deep breath.

"Do you...have a family of your own?"

Eric's gaze turned to the window as he looked up at the moon. "...Sort of. I had a mom...but she died when I was young...and my dad wasn't exactly perfect. So I'm just...kind of on my own." Melody replied, "Sorry to hear…" Eric continued rubbing her head in comfort as he stated, "It's alright."

Melody continued, "I had my dad and mom. My dad...was always supportive. He loved me no matter I did as long as I was good. And I was good for him. He said I have a good heart and he couldn't be prouder. My mom..kind of wants me to be successful...but she at least allows me to choose what job I would want. It took a bit of thinking, but I fell in love with the field of magic. Being a mage. The problem was...it wasn't exactly a supportive job. Some may like it cause it's good for offense and defense...but others, especially scientists, think it's absurd to use such 'witchcraft' instead of doing some job worthwhile. 'Be a warrior. They can toughen you up and make you stronger,' they say. 'Be a cleric. You don't seem like a proper fighter and you can just be the support,' they added. 'Being a mage is a bad job for you. Too many complex spells for your simple mind,' they mocked."

Eric looked down at her. "You poor girl. ...And...your parents?" Melody showed a tiny sad smile as she stated, "Supportive. Mom suggested I should be a cleric, but she said it was my decision to make. My dad told me that whatever job feels right in my heart and expresses my true self will be the job he'll be proud of me having. So I went with a mage, despite what anyone else said. Was mocked a lot for it...but at least I had my parents to back me up."

"Then...what happened?" Melody's eyes looked down as her smile faded. "Dark Lord Bill Cipher happened. He and his monsters attacked our village...and all I can remember was my dad shouting me to run away as far as I could while my mom screamed. When I looked back…" Tears started to reappear in her eyes. "I saw my parents' faces in Bill's clutches."

Eric now felt mixed emotions. Anger towards Bill Cipher for causing such chaos and pain and sympathy for Melody after all she's been through. Melody took a shaky breath and finished with, "After that day, I swore to rescue my parents before they disappear. Make Dark Lord Bill pay if I have to." Eric blinked. "Disappear?"

Melody looked up at the moon and explained, "Don't hold me for this...but I've heard that a Mii without a face has a chance of...disappearing. Without a face, a Mii isn't really...well...anything. Just a silhouette of a person. No voice. No personality. No emotion. And...without any of those things, you could just...fade away."

Eric replied, "That...sounds terrifying." Melody nodded in agreement. "So..come tomorrow, we're going to help all we can right?" Melody looked up at him, her eyes looking for hope in his eyes. Eric looked down at her for a good moment, then with a determined expression, he held her hands and said, "We will do more than that. We'll save as many Miis as we come across, especially your parents." Melody's eyes widen a bit, then she asked, "Do…do you promise, Eric?" She wasn't sure if promises mean a lot to Eric, but they mean a lot to her. She just needed a guarantee.

Eric immediately nodded. "I promise, Melody." With a relaxed sigh, she leaned against him and her eyes started to droop once more. "You know...you're a good man, Eric. I'm glad I'm a part of your team." Eric had a tiny smile show as he continued rubbing her back. "Heh...just do what I can to be kind."

Soon, Melody fell back asleep. This slumber seemed much more peaceful than the last. Eric carefully moved her back under the covers of her bed and tucked her in. After rubbing her head one more time, he walked back to his bed with a yawn and laid down. The moment he laid down, he immediately fell asleep.

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And that should be my last chapter of the day. Whew. Really bringing it in full circle, I hope. Anyways, hope you all enjoyed and I will be sure to post more chapters soon! ;) Another thing to add, I was also inspired by (and based this on) AileenRoseven's fanfic of Survive the Shadows. Mega good fic. 10/10 would read again. Check it out yourself. 


	4. Lost One

The sun shone through the clear glass window into the room. Eric's eyes squinted a bit as he opened them a bit. When he looked around, at first, he was confused. This wasn't his bedroom. But after he sat up, the memories came back to him.

" _Right...Miitopia...the Dark Lord...Melody._ " He looked over at Melody's bed and saw it was empty. His eyes opened more as he looked around. Where did she go? Did a monster nab her?

He quickly got out of bed, grabbed his armor and sword, and dashed down the hall to the lobby. He stopped once he spotted her, sitting at one of the guest tables and...setting up breakfast? He exhaled with relief, glad that she's safe. He was a bit surprised, however, on how much he now cared for her well-being. He just met her yesterday...why does she already mean a lot to him?

Melody looked up from her work and spotted Eric. "Eric! Glad you're awake." She seemed much better after last night too. A warm smile was on her face as she motioned him to join her at the table. He set down his sword and walked over to the table. "What is all this, Melody?"

"I thought I'd make us some breakfast. Got a long journey ahead and everyone always says that breakfast is an important meal of the day, right?"

"Well...I guess." He sits down and looks over what is available. Their leftover butterfly honey seemed to be used as a sort of jam on slices of bread...with hieroglyphics? He looked over the piece of toast and asked, "Uh, Melody? Where'd you get this bread?"

Melody sat down while replying, "Oh. There was some available for guests here in the lobby. The Innkeeper calls them Hieroglyph Toast. It's like...toast, only it has Hieroglyphics toasted on it. I decided to use some of the butterfly honey we had as jam to really spice it up. It's actually really good." She takes a bite and smiles.

Eric gave it a try. He took a bite and his eyes widened a bit. It was true. The honey really adds an extra flavor to the toast. This was good. Crunchy and a bit sweet. He finished his slice with a small smile. This is a nice way to wake up. With a smirk, he asked her, "You sure you're not destined to be a chef?"

She smirked back while replying, "Haha. But on a serious note, nah. I still prefer magic. Although, my dad and mom taught me a few tricks and tips for cooking whenever I helped them cook for dinner. So, I can't say I would make a good chef. But, I can say I can help us eat well to help us maintain a nutritious diet that can help us grow stronger against Bill's monsters."

Eric gulped down some complimentary water that came with the breakfast, then asked, "Well then, Ms. Melody, what is our plan today?"

She pulled out a map she grabbed from the front desk and laid it out in front of Eric. It seemed to map out just the Greenhorne area. It showed lots of lush green patches of land, a village, an entrance to the Riverdeep Caverns, and a large castle. "Based on an assumption, we should be here." She pointed to a spot not too far from Greenhorne village. "I suggest we should keep heading east. There's gotta be more monsters running amok there. Some may have the faces of the villagers. ...Maybe even mom and dad's."

Eric looked up, a bit concerned. "Hey." She looked up, giving him her attention. "After we rescue your parents' faces...what will you do?" Melody glanced down at the map, now thinking. After a moment of silence, she looked back up at Eric with a small smile, stating, "I think I'll keep helping you on your journey. There's a lot of Miis out there that need help. Plus, if you're planning to face the Dark Lord, you're going to need all the help you can get."

Eric smiled a bit, happy with her answer. "Alright then. So we continue east?" Melody replied while finishing her toast, "Yep. Shall we get going while the day is young?" Eric nodded and the two grabbed their equipment. They set off east, in search for any monsters that need to be defeated.

As the two headed forward, they chatted with each other. Melody started explaining some tips that may help. "You know, I doubt we'll be able to take down that dipstick with just my apprentice outfit and your squire armor. The inns offer gift shops we can go into to get better armor and weapons." Eric stated, "Not a bad idea. I say we should save our gold though for some good stuff for us both." Melody nodded in agreement.

Then, a Rock Moth and Goblin ambushed the two travelers. Melody and Eric got into a battle stance, ready to fight. Eric attacked the Rock Moth with his sword while Melody used her magic to cast a fire spell on the same enemy. The Rock Moth was down and the Mii's face was set free back to its owner. The Goblin then attacked, punching Melody. Melody was stunned for a brief moment but remained standing strong. She then whacked the Goblin with her wand. Eric finished the Goblin off with a slash of his sword. Victorious, the two high-fived each other.

Melody gathered the gold and food, then said, "Well then. Let's carry on." Eric nodded as the two continued forward. Not too many monsters ambushed the two after the first battle. Eric then asked Melody, "Hey. Do you think Akira's face is around here?"

Melody looked to him, asking, "It would be stuck to a monster like Rui-Lin, right?"

"I think so, at least. That's how I rescued Rui-Lin."

"I suggest we look around then. Who knows what monster it could be on?" Eric and Melody had their guard up as they looked around for any large monster with Akira's face. Then, a small flash was seen not too far off. Eric looked in the direction of it and motioned Melody over to him. As the two approached, they spotted a floating face, about to be attached to a sort of Rock Moth...only this one was bigger and gray. Eric's eyes widened as he got a good look at the face.

"That's Akira's face!" Melody looked to him with wide eyes. "For real? Well, we gotta save him then!" The two ran up to the monster as Akira's face was attached to the giant butterfly monster. Getting in a battle stance, the Butterfly hissed, ready to fight.

Melody and Eric attacked one by one as the Butterfly struck them after their turn. Its hits were stronger than a regular Rock Moth's attacks. Melody would sometimes use fire magic while Eric would constantly use his sword. Just as the two adventurers were about to weaken, one final fire spell knocked the Butterfly unconscious. Akira's face was set free and sent back to the village.

"Whew...nice work, Eric." Melody smiled a bit, despite now being a bit sore from battle. Eric panted a bit as he replied, "You too." He picked up the gold and...purple butterfly honey? Normally, the butterfly honey they're used to picking up is pink.

As if to answer his confusion, Melody said, "Ooh. That's a rare kind of butterfly honey. I heard it comes from butterflies that get the nectar from purple flowers that only grow on seaside cliffs. The ultra rare is the golden butterfly honey. I knew a chef that used that kind of honey in a recipe and it is _really_ good."

"Huh." Eric placed it in his inventory with a small satisfied smile. "Let's save it for a good breakfast or something. For now, we should head to the village and check on Akira." Melody nodded in agreement and the two headed to the village.

* * *

Akira's face floated down to Akira and reattached on him. His eyes widened as he blinked and rubbed them. "Oh! Is my face back on? What a relief." Melody and Eric arrived just in time to witness the reattachment. Akira looked at the two travelers and said, "Man. Sticking all those faces on monsters...who'd even do that?!"

Melody simply replied, "Dark Lord Bill Cipher, apparently." Eric added, "That's what I tried to warn at the beginning." Akira then stated, "Jeez...sorry I didn't listen earlier. But anyways, thank you. Please accept this reward." He handed them a bag of 200 gold.

"Thanks, Akira," said Melody as she pocketed it. Eric looked to her and said, "Well, there's still more faces to find. Let's keep going." The day was still young, so the two ventured on.

More monsters continued to attack Melody and Eric, but they were becoming less of a challenge. Normally, they were either Rock Moths or Goblins. However, after defeating a couple Rock Moths, something new happened. Eric glowed for a second and gained more knowledge.

Melody looked to him. "Eric? You feeling okay?" Eric looked down at his sword, then Melody. "I think I just learned a new move. Jump..Slash?" Melody's eyes widened. "Our monster fighting experience must be boosting your knowledge. It happened to me before I met you when I learned how to do a Fire spell. Didn't know you glowed when it happened though. Think that's the 'guardian spirit''s work?"

Eric shrugged. "Probably. Either way, I can't wait to try out this new move." Melody smiled a bit while replying, "Well. I look forward to seeing it." The two continued forward until they reached a crossroad. Two arrow signs pointed in different directions. One northeast and the other southeast. The one pointing northeast said, "Tough Path" while the other said, "Easy path."

"Hm...what do you think, Melody?" Eric looked to her, unsure which to choose. Melody thought it over. "Hm...we could take the tough path and get better stuff...at least that's what I think lies on tough paths. Or we could take the easy route to play it safe." After hearing that, Eric believed that getting better items and challenging himself at the same time was the best choice. Before Melody could agree, he headed on the Tough Path route. Melody, a bit surprised by his sudden action, quickly followed.

So far, the path seemed quiet. This was odd to Eric, but Melody had her guard up. It's got to be a trap, right? But then, a scream was heard. Startled, Melody and Eric quickly followed the scream, believing someone was in danger. When they reached the halfway point of the route, their eyes widened.

A little girl was surrounded by 4 Goblins. She was child; must be about 7 years old. She had long black hair, brown eyes, and wore red rags. Stuck in the middle of the Goblins like a rabbit surrounded by a pack of wolves, she did the only thing she could do.

"STIIIIITCH! HEEELP!"

The Goblins pounced and the girl cowered, but both Melody and Eric stepped in, blocking the hits. The girl peered up. "Stitch…?" Her eyes widened when she saw that instead of her close friend protecting her, a couple of strangers were there.

Eric looked down at the girl. "You okay?" She timidly nodded. Eric then said, "Great. Now, go hide. We'll take it from here." The girl quickly took cover behind a boulder and watched anxiously as Melody and Eric took a battle stance.

When the Goblins attacked, they attacked as hard as any other Goblin. What made it difficult was that Melody and Eric were outnumbered this time. Melody used her fire spell a few times, which weakened them. Eric tried his new Jump Slash move, which mildly amazed Melody as he caused great damage to the Goblins with it. With a mighty leap, he would slash down at one of the Goblins. He looked pretty heroic doing so as well.

Soon, all the Goblins were defeated and the Miis' faces were sent back to their owners. "Whew. Still in one...piece." Melody and Eric were panting a bit, but other than a couple bruises, they were fine. Now that the Goblins were gone, their focus shifted to the little girl that was in danger.

She peeked out, asking, "Are...those monsters gone?" Melody and Eric approached her, with Melody stating, "Yep. We took care of them. What are you doing out here so far from a village though…?"

The girl looked down, lightly fidgeting her hands. "I-I...I'm lost. I'm trying to find my way back home...and to my friend."

Eric kneeled down in front of her with a concerned expression. "Did you come from Greenhorne village? We can get you there. It's not _too_ far away." But the girl shook her head. "I'm from the Neksdor kingdom."

Eric looked confused. "The 'next door' kingdom? Next door to what?" Melody knelt down beside him and said, "No, no. She means Neksdor. It's a name of a kingdom that's literally next door to Greenhorne." Eric's eyes lit up with understanding and said, "Ohh. ...How far away is that though?"

" _Really_ far. I'm surprised she made it past the king's castle and Wayward Woods if that's the case." Eric looked down at the girl, more concerned than ever. If that's true, then she is _way_ far from her home. Her parents must be so worried.

The girl started to sniffle as she rubbed her eyes. She was scared, hungry, and alone. Eric had to-no...he _must_ help her. Melody looked up at the sky, noticing the setting sun, after a chilly breeze blew by, making the girl shiver and hug herself.

"We'd better get her to an inn before any more monsters come by." Eric could not agree more. He gently lifted the girl up in his arms and held her close. Melody took off her mage robe and draped it over the girl like a blanket. The girl relaxed in Eric's arms as the two headed for the inn.

The girl then asked, "Who...are you guys, anyway?" Melody smiled to her and replied, "I'm Melody, a mage." Eric added, "And I'm Eric, a warrior. What's your name?" The girl looked up at Eric.

"Lilo. My name is Lilo."

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Sorry, this took a while to get out compared to the other chapters. I wanted to get a cover image set before doing more work here. Not my greatest work, but best I could do. I'm also getting back into school, so chapters won't be coming in as rapidly as before. But I'm still eager to continue this. Be sure to check back for updates. x)


	5. A Full Team Has Formed

Now wrapped in blankets and eating a few slices of Goblin Ham, Lilo made herself comfortable in her room at the inn. Meanwhile, Melody and Eric were sitting in the lobby, discussing what they should do now. Lilo certainly was not part of the plan.

"I think you and I can both agree that we can't just send her off on her own. Not with the Dark Lord and his monsters lurking about." Eric nodded, agreeing with Melody. "She's already so far from home...but what can we do? We already have to worry about the faceless villagers back in Greenhorne village."

"We can try and take her to Neksdor kingdom along our way. It may be far, but at least we can get her home to her family."

"Didn't you say it was _really_ far away though? If that's the case, then we'll run into a lot of monsters. She'll be in danger with us."

Melody shrugged to that. "Well...okay that's true. But do you have any better ideas, warrior?"

Eric was silent. Honestly, he didn't. Leaving Lilo to fend for herself against those monsters would just leave him with a guilty conscience. Melody may as well never let him hear the end of it to add insult to such injury. He couldn't just take her back to some random village either, so taking her to Greenhorne was out of the question.

Knowing all this, he sighed and finally answered, "No...I don't. But we can't always manage to keep her out of battle. One of these days, those monsters are going to attack when our backs are turned."

"We should give her a job then." Eric's eyes widened a bit. "Isn't she...too young to have one?" Melody replied, "Nowadays? I think it would be for the best. Without her parents around to protect her unlike most kids, she's going to need one to get through any beasts that want to hurt her. Besides, as far as I know, King Tyler never made a law stating how old you have to be to have a job."

"...Right. Okay." The two nodded and entered Lilo's room. Lilo looked up, now warm and finished with her dinner. She asked, "So...are you going to leave me in someone else's care?"

Both adventurers seemed surprised by her statement. Melody spoke up, asking, "Why would you think that?" Lilo lightly wrapped herself up a bit more in her blanket as she answered, "A lot of people have left me...like my parents. It was a rainy day...and the monsters attacked our home."

Eric and Melody both sat down beside Lilo, looking at each other with concern. Lilo looked up at the two and asked, "What happened to yours?" Both were surprised by the question.

Melody rubbed the back of her neck as she replied, "My...parents got their faces stolen. ...Looking for them now before they disappear."

Eric quietly looked at the wall as he quietly replied, "Mom died of illness...was 8 when it happened. My dad didn't really take good care of me...so I left." He lightly rubbed his arm, having his suit's sleeve straightened and covering his arm.

Melody felt a bit bad bringing up the question, but she had to know. "If...your parents are gone...who's taking care of you?" Lilo looked up at her and said, "My sister Nani and my friend Stitch. Nani's a cleric...and Stitch is a cat...even though he's more like a dog. He protects me..., especially from those monsters. But one day...we went too far from home and...got separated."

"Poor girl…" Eric rubbed her back in comfort. Lilo sniffled a bit and rubbed her eyes. "I don't know where to go from here. ...Without Stitch or Nani...I don't have my ohana."

Melody asked for both her and Eric, "Ohana?" Lilo replied, "Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten." Both Melody and Eric's eyes widened. "That's...a really nice term for a family." Melody nodded in agreement.

Eric then held both Lilo's hands and said firmly, "Well then. I can assure you, Lilo. Melody and I are going to do everything we can to bring you back to your ohana. We'll have you join us in our quest."

Melody added, "Yeah. We're on a mission to save innocent Miis' faces and bring the Dark Lord to justice. At the same time, we're looking for my parents' faces. Maybe we'll find your friend Stitch on our journey and reach Neksdor kingdom as well."

Lilo was a bit surprised. Like a few villagers she has come across before meeting them, she believed that they will just pass her along and be "someone else's problem." But they are actually willing to help?

Lilo said, "But...won't I get in the way? I can't fight like you guys." Eric said, "We can help you with that. We can get you a job and have you fight along our side." Melody added, "And help you be able to defend yourself against any danger that comes your way."

Lilo's eyes became misty as a smile showed. "I'd...really appreciate that. Thank you." Eric pulled out the charm out of his pockets and held it out. It glowed brightly and displayed the job options for Lilo.

Lilo looked at each one. "Which one do I choose?" Eric answered, "Whichever one will show your true self and you know you'll enjoy." Eric looked at Melody as she smiled warmly at that answer. She seems glad he also has an understanding of desired jobs. After hearing Eric's answer, Lilo began thinking over which one would suit her best.

" _A job that'll show my true self...well, I want to fight for them, just as they fought for me._ " She looked at the warrior option. " _This would probably be the best choice then. Plus, Eric can teach me all he knows._ " With a confident smile, she picked Warrior.

In a small flash of light, her outfit changed to the same armor Eric had, including the sword. The only difference was her cape and sleeves were red. Eric was mildly surprised a young girl like herself would choose such a daring job. Melody, on the other hand, was happy with her choice.

Eric felt the need to ask. "A warrior, huh?" Lilo nodded. "I want to fight and defend you guys and my ohana, just as you have for me." Melody added, "Well, I think it's a perfect job for her. Welcome to our team, Lilo." Lilo smiled warmly.

Eric then asked, "So, now that we have more than just the two of us, how will we rest roommate-wise?" Both girls looked at each other, then Lilo spoke up first. "Can I sleep with you tonight, Sir Eric? That way I can know what you know as a warrior." Eric smiled a bit and said, "Well...sure. And please. You can just call me Eric."

He then looked up at Melody. "You sure you'll be okay resting on your own?"

"Of course. I don't mind. And if by some chance a nightmare decides to haunt me, I know where to go. I'll just be across the hall."

"Alright." Melody grabbed her robe, hat, and wand and headed to the door. "You two rest well. Got a busy day ahead of us." Lilo gave a small wave while saying, "Goodnight, Melody." Eric added, "Goodnight. Rest well." Melody nodded and exited.

Lilo soon got comfortable in her own bed as she took off the armor and set aside her sword and helmet. As Eric ate some leftover hieroglyph toast with a bit of pink butterfly honey, he told Lilo a few tips and tricks for battle. The Jump Slash move would have to be taught by experience, but Eric was willing to defend her in the process.

Soon, the moon shone through the window and all three adventurers laid down in their beds. Melody alone immediately fell asleep, exhausted from the traveling and spell-casting. Eric fell asleep after getting settled in.

Lilo, meanwhile, looked up at the moon in thought. "Don't give up wherever you are, Stitch. ...We'll come find you." She soon laid down and looked at Eric. Feeling confident that with him and Melody, she'll reunite with her ohana, she fell into a peaceful sleep. Been over a week since she had one.

* * *

"And how come I don't have the right to stay here for free?"

Eric stirred from his sleep, faintly hearing a sort of high-pitched...and mildly scratchy voice? Jeez. He sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. A female voice, most likely the Innkeeper, is heard in the lobby.

"Adventurers ONLY. And you, sir, don't look like a proper adventurer."

Eric quietly walked down the hallway and peeked around the corner, looking to the front door. The same scratchy voice was heard from the slightly ajar front door.

"Oh. So you're disgrimilating against certain jobs? Is that it?"

The tired innkeeper rubbed the bridge of her nose. "First of all, it's 'discriminating.' Second of all, I'm not. I just see adventurers as those that are on a quest. Mainly to take down the Dark Lord that's been running amok and scaring all my guests away."

"Well, the joke's on you 'cause I _am_ on a quest! I'm looking for my brother. Can't really do that by not getting a good night's rest due to sleeping on ROCKS." Eric quietly stepped out a bit to try and see who this stubborn stranger is.

"Well show me 500 gold then and I'll gladly point you to an open room."

"Who do you think I am? Princess Rose?"

"Then I'm afraid I can't let you stay here." She started to shut the door.

"Wait!" The innkeeper stopped as Eric spoke up. The stranger at the door tried to look over her to see who it was. Eric continued, "They...uh...can join me and my team. That makes them an adventurer, right?"

The innkeeper stared at Eric for a moment, as if studying him over. Soon, she sighed and fully opened the door. Eric's eyes widened with whom he just possibly invited to join his team. A robot. Not only that, but also a chicken? Basically, he appeared as a tall, lanky humanoid rooster or chicken with scaled feet, gray feather-like arms, silver body armor underneath the white chef's outfit, a red rooster comb under his white chef's hat, a red two-feathered tail, a yellow beak, and yellow legs.

This character seemed as surprised to see Eric as Eric was to him. The innkeeper glared to the robotic stranger and said, "You're lucky he's one of the last remaining warriors." She then walked off to the manager's room to get a cup of tea.

The stranger and Eric looked at each other for a moment, then to the side. An awkward silence filled the air until Eric finally broke it and said, "So uh...shall we discuss this someplace else?"

"Uh...sure." Both Eric and the robot walk down the hall and entered an unoccupied room. Eric would have brought Scratch into his room, but he did not want to disturb Lilo.

"So. You got a name?" Eric closed the door behind the two for privacy.

"Yeah. It's Scratch. What's yours?" Scratch sat down on one of the beds, setting aside his frying pan and taking off his chef's hat, which showed off his rooster comb. Eric walked to his side and sat down next to him.

"Eric. So…what brings you here?"

Scratch laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling. "Bit of a long story." Eric replied, "We got time. Lemme hear it." Scratch let out a small sigh and began.

"Me and Grounder...my brother, used to work for Dr. Robotnik. He's not as bad as the Dark Lord nowadays, but he was pretty bad back in the day. Grounder would go out pickpocketing while I was cooped up inside, cooking. Least Grounder stole some good food for me to have for myself when I'm not cooking rotten egg recipes."

Eric then interjected, "But you're robots. Do you not need to eat?" Scratch simply looked at him and replied, "Robotnik made me and Grounder with digestive systems so we could be like his garbage disposal. ...At least, that's what he told us. We used to only eat the scraps from his plates. ...I soon found out bones aren't digestible." He rubbed his stomach, reminded of the ache he felt that day. Eric's eyebrows furrowed with mild concern, but he calmly stated, "Continue."

"So...one day, Grounder went out to Neksdor kingdom to find new riches to loot...but uh...didn't come home. I told Dr. Robotnik, but he just bluntly said that he could be replaced. And if I didn't want to be replaced, then I should get back to work. For once, I found the courage to argue against him. I told him we needed to find my brother. Then…" Scratch looked down, rubbing the back of his long neck. "I got kicked out. Well...actually, more like chased out. Robotnik just grabbed a bunch of heavy stuff and started throwing them at me, screaming. Once I was out of his fortress, I heard him yell, 'If you ever show your disgusting face here again, I'll turn you and your pathetic excuse of a brother into SCRAP!'"

Eric now felt a bit of anger against Robotnik. Mistreatment of his creations. Has this world no moral fiber? Scratch continued, "So, I was off on my own. I tried to look for my brother, but I had a hard time finding my way to where he is. Without him, I also had a hard time being able to afford anything. Food...shelter...no one was willing to help a washed-up chef. ...As you saw today. I would've changed jobs but...I didn't know how...and it was kind of against my programming. What good would I do anyway?"

Eric then noticed Scratch's head was down and...tears were showing in the rims of his eyes. When Scratch realized this, he quickly wiped them away and looked away. "But y'know, it's whatever. I mean...thanks for letting me stay here at least...but it's only going to do so much good."

The two sat in silence for only a minute. Eric spoke up, stating, "What if you came with us?" Scratch looked up. "We're on a mission to take down the Dark Lord...but we're also working on achieving our own missions. You could join us and we can help find your brother along the way."

Scratch kept his arms crossed as he replied, "I dunno...I've seen what the Dark Lord can do and I don't want to get mixed in that mess. Besides...a-all I want to do is find Grounder and figure things out from there."

" _Man. Stubborn._ " Eric pushed the thought aside and continued using his kind heart to persuade him otherwise. "You and your brother would be better on our team. We always have food and defend each other. And I swear, if we don't find your brother before we defeat the Dark Lord, which I am sure we can accomplish, we can search for him."

Scratch quietly listened, then quietly started thinking. " _Hm...food, shelter, and a chance to find my brother. Ugh, but I don't want to get mixed with more people. Robotnik was rotten enough...how do I know they won't turn on me when the time is right? ...No. I can't risk it. I'll just join so I can find my brother. Soon as I find Grounder, we'll hightail it to the next kingdom. No way I'm getting my face stolen._ "

With a sigh, Scratch turned to Eric. "Alright. I'll join." Eric smiled and held his hand out to shake. Scratch looked down at it and shook. "So uh, who are the other members?"

Meanwhile, Lilo was waking up. She sat up with a yawn and rubbed her eyes. Looking around, she realized Eric's bed was empty. His armor and sword were still sitting beside it. Suddenly worried, she quickly climbed out of bed and ran to Melody's room. She quietly opened the door...then exhaled with relief. Melody was still in bed asleep. To Lilo, that was a sign that they did not abandon her. But if that is true, where is Eric?

She walked into the room and began shaking her a bit. "Psst. Melody. Wake up." Melody mumbled in her sleep and rolled on her side to see Lilo. "Lilo...what time is it?"

"It's early. But I didn't see Eric in bed."

While yawning, Melody simply replied, "I'm sure he's just making breakfast or something. We can eat after an hour or two." She rolled onto her other side, snuggling into her bedsheets.

"Melody, please, this could be serious!" Lilo pulled away her blanket and tries to pull her out of bed. Once the blanket was off and Lilo was yanking her arm, Melody sighed and sat up. "Okay fine. Aside from waking me up from a full night's rest, what's the problem?" Her eyes were half open and her voice clearly showed her exhaustion. But she at least had made sure not to be rude to Lilo. She rubbed her eyes to wake up a bit more.

"When I woke up, Eric was missing from his bed. I saw his armor and sword sitting there, but no Eric."

"Hm...it is a bit weird that he didn't bring his equipment with him." Melody finally stood up with a stretch. "Alright. Let's see where our leader went off to."

The two girls checked Lilo and Eric's room once more. The only trace of Eric was his equipment. They checked the lobby. Empty. The Shop that sold equipment and these sort of products that can help with your health and magic power. Not there either.

Melody started becoming a bit worried until she heard muffled talking. She motioned Lilo to follow her as she went down the west hallway of rooms. Their rooms were in the east. If Eric is there, what is he doing? A slightly ajar door, where the voices were coming from, was spotted. Melody and Lilo stood outside the door and peeked in.

"So we're looking for Melody's parents before they…"disappear" perse, and we're planning to get Lilo home and find her friend."

"And, what about you? If your parents aren't around here, then why choose to go on a dangerous mission?"

Eric paused on that. "I...well...I'm actually not sure. I usually say it's so I can save my future home. But something tells me that it's more than that. I guess I'm also doing this for the Mii's...especially Melody and Lilo, who need help the most. Like I'm going to allow some Dark Lord to march in and torment innocent people."

Scratch seemed confused. "You're not doing it for some reward or something?" Eric showed a small smirk. "Robotnik didn't teach you guys how kindness to others can be its own reward?" Scratch shook his head no. Eric continued, "Sometimes helping others provides its own reward. The good feeling you get knowing that you helped someone in need of it more than you can be great."

Scratch began thinking quietly to himself. Eric then glanced at the door, faintly spotting Melody and Lilo. Both girls duck back, worried he may get upset he notices them snooping. Eric, however, just simply smiled and said, "Girls. Mind coming in?"

Both girls quietly enter and Scratch snapped out of his thoughts as the three stared at each other.

Melody was first to ask, "Eric? Who's this?"

Eric placed his hand on Scratch and gave a friendly smile.

"Melody. Lilo. Meet our newest team member Scratch."


	6. Great Sage and Great Potential

"So we'll keep heading east, towards the king's castle. His guards won't let us go further, but hopefully, we won't need to." Melody pointed all this out to the other members on the map.

She looked up at them. "So, is everyone ready?" They all nodded, armor equipped and holding their weapons. Melody then looked at Scratch's frying pan and her smile disappeared.

"Hold on." She goes up to Scratch and points at his frying pan. "Scratch...is this suppose to be your weapon?"

Scratch gave her a look and looked down at his frying pan. "Yeah? So? They can be good weapons."

"It's not the fact that it's a frying pan that bothers me. I agree with that fact. But it's the...state of the frying pan that's bothering me." When Eric and Lilo looked at it as well, they had to agree with her. The frying pan was dented in a few parts, a bit rusty, and _very_ dirty. Grease stains and old food chunks coated the inside.

Lilo could only say, "Ewww." Eric looked up at Scratch with a questionable look. "When was the last time you washed this thing?"

Scratch got a bit steamed they were being so judgemental. "I was kicked to the streets! Where was I suppose to wash it? The toilet with hand soap?"

"Well, if you're going to fight with us, you're going to need a better frying pan." Melody then looked at Eric and Lilo as well. "At some point, we're _all_ going to need better equipment. We may be up against some fairly easy monsters, but I wouldn't be surprised if the Dark Lord sent stronger ones."

The other members seemed to agree with her on that. Lilo spoke up asking, "But, where are we going to get better armor and weapons?"

Melody smiled. "When we were looking for Eric, I spotted a shop in the inn that sells those sort of things. New wands for mages, armor for warriors, etc. So let's go check there." The rest nodded and followed her to the back of the lobby.

They walked into the store and their eyes widened. All sorts of weapons and clothing from all kinds of classes were on the shelves or hung on racks. Melody looked to Eric, "How much gold do we have?"

Eric checked his inventory. "704 G." Melody smiled and replied, "We should have enough to get something for each of us then. We should plan to save for better stuff too." Eric nodded and the team split up, looking around the store for something that catches their eye.

Scratch looked around the Chef section for a proper frying pan. He then spotted a clean red frying pan. He picked it up and read the tag. It was a non-stick frying pan. It also contains magical abilities? 140 G to buy. All that sounded promising. With a confident smile, he headed for the register.

"Hm...maybe if I save up a bit, I can get a new robe." She lightly traced her hands along the cloth of a linen robe. The fabric was a bit rough, but it seemed more durable than her apprentice robe. Her gaze then turned to the wand shelf. " _I could probably use a new wand…_ " She checked the shelf and spotted a broomstick. With a questionable look, she picked it up and held it. "What do they think mages are? Witches?"

Lilo and Eric were looking around the Warrior section. Eric focused on getting a new sword while Lilo focused on getting better armor. She managed to find leather armor her size and with a red cape. Eric spotted a bronze sword. It didn't look as sharp as his squire sword, but it did look more durable and like it would land a harder blow.

Soon, the team came together to the register. Melody decided to purchase the broomstick despite her statement earlier. Before the cashier could add together their total, Scratch spoke up. "Hey uh, what does it mean that this thing has...magical abilities?"

The male cashier smiled and said, "A chef that buys any frying pans like these can use them for spells just as a mage can. With enough experience as a chef, these pans can have you cook food out of thin air to heal team members, heat it up to bring more damage to monsters, or even make the monsters _into_ food. It's a bit more appealing than it sounds." Scratch was intrigued.

"Do you still want to buy this?" Scratch replied, "Heck yeah!" The man turned to Eric and said, "Great. Then that'll be 560 G." Eric handed him the amount of gold needed and they were left with 144 G.

Eric looked at Melody and said, "Yeah, we should definitely save up." The male register handed them back their equipment and said, "Good luck, adventurers." They all thanked him and exited.

Once they were changed and equipped with proper equipment, they all headed out. It was odd though. There was rarely a monster around. The team kept their guards up as they looked all around.

"Haha. Well, look who it is! You just keep turning up like a bad penny, don't you?"

The team stopped and looked at the source of the voice. What they saw made them gasp. Lilo and Scratch hid behind Melody, who had her wand ready in defense. Eric stood his ground, sword in hand as well.

Eric had a glare showing as he looked up. "Bill Cipher." Dark Lord Bill Cipher loomed in front of them with the same sick grin and piercing blue eyes. His arms were crossed as he showed an amused expression.

"I thought I left you for dead from that slime monster. Figures." Eric held his sword out to him and replied, "I'm here with a team and better equipment. Prepare to taste defeat!" Scratch looked at Eric like he was insane. Melody looked surprised and now questioning if this is a good idea. Lilo just looked nervous.

Bill blinked in surprise to Eric's statement. "...Pfft...ahahaha..hahahahaha...HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He held his sides as he laughed. The way he laughed made it sound like he heard the funniest joke in the universe. Eric began to blush a bit in embarrassment, but his anger showed. How dare he laughed at him. He can take him down!

Cipher wiped a tear away from his eyes as his laughter was reduced to small chuckles. "Hahaha..hooo...oh, that's rich. Well, since you want it so much, let's dance." His wicked smile widened as he formed his hands together. A large dark energy ball twice Eric's size appeared in his hands.

Scratch started to sweat as his eyes widened. Lilo covered her eyes with a small whimper. Melody's eyes widened as her wand lowered. This was a bad idea. Eric looked at the energy ball and started to lose confidence. "...Uhh…"

Just as Melody was about to shout for Eric to get out of there, a new voice spoke instead.

"Hold it right there!"

Then a sort of magic beam went right past Eric and shot the dark energy ball. The ball vanished in an instant. Dark Lord Bill, shocked by the power that was displayed, looked up at the source with an annoyed look. "Who dares?"

Eric and the rest of the team looked behind them to see who it was as well. An elder man with a white thick robe that fades to blue at the end of his sleeves with an oversized hood, a green undershirt, a white belt, white pants and green shoes. His facial features mainly showed a long white beard and small round glasses that sat on his nose. With his silver staff with a blue orb inside, he stepped forward past the team and stood in front of Eric.

Bill's expression turned sour as he rolled his eyes. "Ugh. The old coot is here to ruin the fun." Eric was surprised...and now curious who this strange yet powerful man is. Lilo whispered to Scratch, "Who is he?" Scratch whispered back, "I don't know." Melody, however, was silently smiling very brightly. Her eyes were practically stars.

The stranger finally spoke. "Hm. So you're this Dark Lord I've been hearing so much about lately. Well, you won't be getting your way for much longer." A green-turquoise aura flowed around him as all sorts of magic encryptions circled him. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

Dark Lord Bill did not seem intimidated as he stated, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that no one likes a party pooper? ..Tch. I might just let you live...this time! So…" He looked at Eric with a small sinister grin, "Bye-bye for now. Hahahaha." With a quick twirl, he vanished.

Eric exhaled, letting out a breath he did not realize he was holding in. The stranger turned to Eric, aura disappearing. "Now are you quite alright, young man?"

"Y-yeah...thanks for the save. Who are you, by the way?" The stranger smiled in a friendly manner. "Well, my name is Merlin. What might be your name, lad?"

"My name's Eric." He points behind him to the team members. "And that's Melody, Lilo and Scratch." Lilo shyly waved while Scratch awkwardly waved. Scratch finally noticed Melody's unchanging excited expression and chuckled a bit. He walked up to Eric and said, "Hehe, Eric. Look at Melody." Eric looked at her and was a bit surprised. By far, he's never seen her so excited before.

Lilo shyly walked to Eric's side and looked up at Merlin. "So um...who exactly are you?" Merlin smiled a bit and said, "Well, I am a traveling mage. A soothsayer! A prognosticator! I travel the world, helping those in need of my assistance."

Scratch and Lilo both only replied, "Whoa~." Eric said, "That's great. We could probably use your assistance now." Eric brought Merlin up to speed on what has been happening. The Dark Lord, Mii's faces being stolen, etc.

"Intriguing. So, you are all on a quest to defeat the Dark Lord then?" Eric nodded and Lilo also answered, "Well yeah, but…" Merlin answered for her, "But you feel you're not quite strong enough?" Scratch was surprised, "How did you know?" Merlin shrugged with a small smile. "Just a hunch."

He then looked directly at Eric. "But you know...I sense a strange power within you. You might not think it's much at the moment, but continue your journey and it will grow." Eric had a small confident smile showing. "Thanks, Merlin." Merlin smiled a bit and said, "If fortune is on our side, we'll surely meet again."

Melody got out of her astonished state and went to Eric's side. "Y-you're leaving, Mr. Merlin?" Merlin turned to her and said, "Oh please, Ms. Melody. Just Merlin is fine." Melody's smile came back as her eyes twinkled with excitement. Merlin continued, "And I'm afraid I must. I have to make sure the Miis that fell victim to the Dark Lord's power are safe and tended to. Until we meet again, I wish you all luck." With a smile and nod, he heads off west.

The team said their goodbyes and waved. Then, the team members looked at Eric. Lilo lightly hit his arm. It did not hurt, but it surprised Eric. "-..Lilo what-" Lilo interrupted saying, "That was for almost getting killed." Melody crossed her arms. "Yeah...we _really_ dodged a bullet there." Scratch then added, "What the heck were you thinking?"

Eric got a bit steamed up from everyone blaming him, but he took a breath and said, "Honestly...I don't know. I just wanted to finally take out the Dark Lord. He's hurting a lot of Mii's and-" Melody interrupted, putting her hand on his shoulder. "We'll take him down. Just not today. We only _just_ got our new, mildly improved equipment. Like Merlin said, we're going to need to continue our journey if we're going to grow into strong heroes."

Eric was silent for a moment, then he sighed and said, "Yeah...I'm sorry, you guys." Melody gave him a warm smile and said, "Hey don't worry about it. Least Merlin came in." Scratch then spoke up, "By the way, Melody, do you know him?"

Melody's eyes widened. "Of course I know him! He's one of the greatest mages of all time! He's wise, kind, and _very_ powerful! He knows really advanced spells and has taken down a lot of great evils."

Lilo then asked, "So, why won't he take down the Dark Lord instead of us?"

Melody paused. "...I'm not sure actually. Maybe it's like he said. He needed to help the villagers. But I'm willing to bet that we'll see him again."

Eric then stated, "Either way, shall we keep moving?" The rest nodded and continued on. When not fighting monsters, they're chatting. Melody would talk to Eric while Lilo would talk to Scratch.

"Dark Lord Bill Cipher couldn't even come up with a comeback against Merlin. He's so cool." Lilo beamed to Scratch. Scratch replied with a smirk, "I can see why Melody was fangirling over the guy."

They fought through the day as they continued their journey. They even faced a new monster called a Cumulus. It's like a sort of cloud monster. Was not too difficult for the heroes at least. Then, something new came up. A treasure chest.

Lilo ran up to it. "Whoa~. A chest!" Scratch added, "You think it's got gold in it?" Melody walked up to it and traced her hands along the top. "I'm willing to bet those last monsters were guarding it." Lilo looked at Eric. "Let's open it!"

Eric opened the unlocked chest. Inside was 300 gold. Eric smiled and put the money in his inventory. Melody said, "Sweet. Now we can buy more equipment when needed."

After fighting more Goblins and Rock Moths, nighttime started coming in as the sun set. The heroes also gained more fighting knowledge. Lilo learned the Jump Slash Eric knew. Scratch also learned how to use the frying pan's magical abilities and cook food for healing. It helped when Melody was a bit weak from a few Goblin hits.

The four heroes found an inn close by and entered. They sat in the lobby, eating a bit of Goblin ham with a side of Butterfly Honey. Scratch ate the most. It has been a while since he actually had a decent meal.

"Okay." Melody laid out the map. "We covered some pretty good ground. There are two paths that lie where we are. One goes north while the other goes south. Going north, we'll still be in Easin Hills. There's not much there, but it never hurts to check. South from here, there are two areas."

She pointed to a sort of grotto at the outskirts of Greenhorne Village. "This is the Strange Grove. Plant life is a lot more active there and just as the name describes, it's pretty strange in there." She then points to the right of the Strange Grove area. A sort of watery cavern was shown. "Here is Riverdeep Cavern. Humid and full of crystal clear water. It's also a shortcut to a castle view spot I know. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if there were stronger monsters in either the Grove or the Cavern."

She looked up at the members. "So. Where should we start first thing tomorrow?" Surprisingly, Lilo and Scratch turned to Eric. He asked, "Why are you all looking at me?" Lilo replied, "Well...we kind of see you as the leader here." Scratch added, "Yeah. You're the one that put all this together."

Melody finally added, "That is pretty true. If you're willing, Eric, you can lead us to victory." Eric took in this information. A leader. " _I kinda like the sound of that._ " With a tiny smile, he said, "I don't mind...I'd love to be the leader." The other members smiled as Melody continued, "Well then, leader. It's your call."

Eric looked down at the map. " _We could go south and go either to the grove or cavern...but then again, if we go north, it may be easier for all of us. We can get more experience and other items. Plus, I'm sure there are faces up there to be saved. Maybe even one from the village._ " He finally looked up at the team. "I say we start north. Once we clear out the area, we'll head south to the grove."

"Great." Melody rolled up the map. "Let's get some rest then." Eric roomed in with Scratch while Lilo went with Melody. All four members soon fell into a peaceful sleep, ready for tomorrow.

.

.

.

Alright. Now that they've all been introduced, they can continue their adventure! So, until next chapter.


	7. Strange Sights and Emotions

With an early start, the heroes traveled north. Simple monsters such as Cumulus and Rock Moths mostly resided there. Sometimes in battle, Melody would lend a hand to Eric and vice versa. Along their path, they have also found treasure chests. Most of it was filled with gold while a couple others were filled with...bananas and candy? Odd, but they have soon learned that they are helpful in battle. The candy helped with their energy while the bananas helped with health.

Then, they came across a large golden chest. After opening it, Eric found a sort of Bee Sword. It looked like a sort of sword a musketeer would use, only the handle was fuzzy and black and yellow. Eric decided to use it for himself. They continued onward, facing Goblins and Cumuluses and growing stronger with each battle. Scratch even learned how to magically cook food out of thin air to help with healing.

Then, a small flash of light was seen not too far from them. Going towards it, they found Pedro's face. A faceless boulder was close by and Pedro's face attached to it. The boulder looked to the four and made a rumbling growl. Two more Cumulus clouds came and joined the fight.

Eric stood his ground and shouted, "Let's do this!" The team nodded and got into battle positions. Eric went first, starting strong with a Jump Slash on Rocky Pedro. The Cumulus clouds went next. One used healing rain and gave Rocky Pedro some health second Cumulus did the same and fully healed him. Eric's sword lowered at that. "Aw come on."

Melody then spoke up, looking to the team. "I've got a strat. We take out the healers, we take out Rocky Pedro." The rest nodded and continued battling. Melody casted Fire on the Cumulus on her right. Lilo did a Jump Slash on the same enemy. Scratch ran right up to the Cumulus and smacked it with his frying pan. With all that damage, the right Cumulus disappeared and the face flew off. So far, so good.

Now it was Rocky Pedro's turn. Mainly, it rolled right at Lilo and knocked her back. Given its large size, it hit Eric and Scratch as well. A bit of damage done, but they got back up. Then, Rocky Pedro went again, this time hitting Eric along with Lilo and Melody. Their health was down a bit, but not hazardly low.

Eric attacked the left Cumulus, which then attacked back. Melody used Fire, this time on Rocky Pedro. Lilo attacked the Cumulus and defeated it, releasing the face. With both Cumuluses down, Scratch aimed for Rocky Pedro and smacked him with the frying pan once more. Rocky Pedro then rolled right at them again twice. Lilo was down to 3 HP.

After Eric and Melody attacked once more, Lilo was about to eat one of her rationed bananas. The team agreed that each of them would get 2 bananas and 1 candy. But Scratch quickly spoke up. "Wait, Lilo. Attack and I'll help heal!" Lilo looked at Scratch, questioning if it's a good idea. But she pocketed the banana and said while holding her sword, "I hope you know what you're doing!" She jump slashed Rocky Pedro. Very close to being defeated.

Scratch looked at his frying pan. He spoke softly to himself as he stated, "Hope so too…" Concentrating, he used his gained knowledge and had food appear on his frying pan, immediately having it cook. The rest of the team was a bit surprised yet impressed. Scratch smiled and showed the cooked food to Lilo. "Dig in!"

She ate the dish. Not the greatest meal, but still pretty good. Good enough to get her health back up. Smiling, she looked up at Scratch. "Thanks, Scratch." Her trust in him was not diminished.

Rocky Pedro attacked once more. Now, besides Lilo, the team was on low health. However, Eric was determined to finish this fight. With one good slash of his sword, Rocky Pedro was knocked down. "Yes!"

The monster disappeared and Pedro's face was released. It then quickly flew back to Greenhorne. The rest of the team high-fived each other, proud of pulling through. Now to head back to the village...and heal there.

Pedro's face was soon reattached to him and in surprise, he pats his cheeks to make sure. "Ah. Got my face back! Man, I got mixed up with a bad'un." Eric and the team arrived to check on Pedro, while sampling more of Scratch's cooking for their health.

"Huh. You guys must've helped. Guess you're not a bad sort, I suppose. Fine. You at least deserve something." With a small smirk, he tosses Eric a tiny bag of gold. Only 10 G was inside.

Out of the whole team, Scratch seemed the most displeased. " _THIS is what we get for saving those people? They should be making us rich as King Tyler! I make more just from Grounder doing his thief work._ "

The rest were not enthusiastic, but they could not dismiss it. Gold is gold; besides, their main goal was to help the villagers, reward or no reward.

Eric looked at Pedro with a tiny smile of appreciation and stated, "Thanks," as he pocketed the gold.

Lilo looked up at Eric. "So, where to next?"

Eric then looked to Melody. "Well, Melody. You got the map. Shall you lead us to the Strange Grove since we explored the north?"

Melody nodded with a small smile and pulled out the map. "Onwards, then." She headed east with the rest of the team following her. The day was still young. What's a few more monsters now that they were refreshed in the village?

* * *

"Wow…" Lilo looked around the Strange Grove setting. Lush green grass and canopies of trees. It seemed beautiful here for a "strange" setting.

"So, remind me, Melody. Why do they call it 'Strange Grove' here again?" Eric looked around, keeping his sword in hand in case a monster pops out from behind a tree.

"Well, this area isn't really explored often. I think we just call it 'Strange Grove' cause it's one of the most outlandish places in Greenhorne. Easin Hills is calm and tranquil, Riverdeep Cavern is just a riverbend cavern with crystal blue waters as I said earlier, and then there's the King's Castle. That's all of Greenhorne for ya." Melody calmly walked beside Eric, taking in the scenery.

Then, within nearby bushes, rustling was heard. Scratch stopped and looked over. "Uh...guys?" The rest of the team stopped and looked to him. "I don't think we're alone…" He carefully stepped close to the bush to investigate. Carefully parting the leaves with his frying pan, Scratch peeked in.

A large mushroom monster and a goblin soon popped out and ambushed Scratch, causing him to scream in fright. Lilo and Melody called out to him, "Scratch!" Eric was the first to attack, slashing the Smileshroom monster back. Melody attacked the Goblin with fire, knocking it back as well.

Scratch was shook. He could have almost died! Melody, noticing his shaking, quickly guided Scratch to a sort of safe spot behind them. "Stay here. We'll protect you." With a determined smile, she ran back to Lilo and Eric's sides. The goblin was easy to take out, but the Smileshroom was a tiny bit stronger.

On the Smileshroom's turn, it looked at Lilo. She braced herself for an attack, but instead, it made a funny face and did a silly dance. Eric and Melody looked at each other questionable. What was it doing?

Lilo, however, then started laughing. The face and dancing? It's so silly! She was so caught up on laughing, she didn't even bother attacking. Melody's eyes widened. " _I've seen this before, but I didn't think laughter counted!_ "

Eric tried to stay focused. He jump slashed the Smileshroom, finishing it off and releasing the face. After that, Lilo's laughter died down and she wiped the tears from her eyes.

Eric looked at Lilo and stated, "You know, his dance and face wasn't _that_ funny." Lilo looked up at Eric surprised. "I...don't know what happened. He just made the face, and all of the sudden, I started laughing really hard."

"That, my friends, is what they call an ailment." Scratch, finally calm and relieved the monsters are gone, went to Eric and Lilo's sides. He's never been that shook up before. Not even against Robotnik sometimes.

"Ailments?" Eric looked at Melody questionably. Melody explained, "I've heard about these things shortly after Dark Lord Bill's monsters came in. They say that some monsters will do certain actions that will cause the fighter to react a certain way. Some have the strong willpower to resist it. Others? Not as much. So when the Smileshroom did its silly face and dance, it must've put Lilo under a sort of Laughter ailment. ...Didn't think laughter would be an ailment, but now we know."

"You think that me being shook up was also an ailment," Scratch asked. Melody looked at him. "Depends. How spooked do you normally get?" Scratch scoffed and turned his head up while crossing his arms. "Rarely EVER. I've faced an abusive master and hardships of surviving on my own. Nothing scares me." But he looked off to the side. " _Except the dark._ "

"If that's true, then yes. That should be another ailment. ...I forgot what it's called though."

Eric then said, "How about we keep it simple? Just scared."

"That works." Melody shrugged.

Scratch added, "But I wasn't that scared for that long. After Melody put me to the side, I eventually just...stopped shaking."

"Huh...by putting you to a safe spot, the ailment faded. We could use that to our advantage." Melody smiled. "Alright then, team. We're not going to continue facing more hardships just standing around here." They all nodded and continued forward.

The sun was starting to set as the team continued walking around the Strange Grove. More Goblins and Smileshrooms attacked along the way, but with the help of the Safe Spot, a few show-offs, and lend a hands, they did not have much issue. Melody even learned a new spell.

Past a couple trees, Eric then spotted a flash of light. "Hey guys, over here!" He brushed past the bushes and spotted Irina's face floating in a clearing. The rest of the team followed and saw a large mouse monster go up to the face. Sniffing it, it then squeaked in fright as it flew right at its face. Its squeaks then turned to growls as it turned to Eric. The rest of the team ran to his side, getting into battle stance just as two Smileshrooms joined Irina Mouse's side.

Eric quickly attacked first, aiming for Irina Mouse. Right before he attacked, he looked to the team. "You guys take care of the Smileshrooms. I got the mouse." The rest of the team nodded and Gabe slashed Irina Mouse with his sword. Lilo attacked the Smileshroom on the left while Scratch went for the one on the right.

"Let's see what this new spell can do." Melody looked down at her wand. She then closed her eyes and concentrated. An electric ring formed around her. She soon jumped up and shouted, "Lightning!" She swung her wand down and struck Irina Mouse, along with the Smileshrooms on the side, dealing good damage.

Irina Mouse then attacked first, tail slapping Eric. In doing so, it also hit Melody and Lilo on the sides. It did the same to Lilo, which also hit Eric and Scratch. Not too high of damage, but still beaten pretty hard.

Eric jump slashed Irina Mouse first. But the Smileshrooms then attacked. One looked at Scratch and did the silly face and dance. Scratch, however, managed to resist as he showed he was not amused. The other went up to Melody and hit her with its head. Seeing how weak she was starting to get, Scratch quickly cooked up some food and handed it to Melody. "Thanks, Scratch." She quickly ate it and smiled, feeling her health go back up.

Melody did another lightning spell, taking out both Smileshrooms. Now that they were out of the way, Lilo proceeded to jump slashing Irina Mouse. Eric gave the final blow with a good hit of his sword. Irina Mouse was knocked out and the mouse monster disappeared. Irina's face floated up and away to Greenhorne.

Lilo and Scratch high-fived and Melody patted Eric on the back. "Not bad for a group of rookies such as us, huh?" Eric smirked a bit at Melody's statement.

Scratch then glowed, gaining more knowledge. "Flambé…" He looked down at his frying pan and concentrated. It then glowed fire red hot. "Bwah-ha-ha-ha! This is cool!" He swung it in the air as it cooled down.

Eric looked back up at the sky. "C'mon guys. Let's check on Irina back at the village. Then, we'll find an inn and rest for the night." With a nod, the team headed west out through the rest of Strange Grove.

Sho was still hugging his love, tearing up a bit as he kept his gaze away from her head. "I-it...It'll be alright, Irina. ..W-we can work this out. I may not be able to see into your...beautiful eyes or...feel your soft lips on my cheeks…" Somehow, he could not finish the statement as a few tears flowed down his cheeks. He didn't even notice a flash of light above his head.

A gentle hand ran through his hair as a familiar female voice spoke. "Ngh...that was bright. -...Sho? What is wrong, my dear?" Sho's eyes widened as he looked up. Irina's face was there. Her expression showed concern. "I-Irina...your face."

Her eyes widened next as she let out a small gasp. "Oh! Yes! My face! It's back!" As she smiled brightly, Sho hugged her close. "Oh, my love. I was so worried!"

Irina looked up at Eric's team as they approached and said, "I remember you. You were the ones that helped me." Sho looked at them as well. "Thank you so much. Here. It's not much, but you'll find good use in it." He handed them...3 game tickets?

Scratch spoked up first. "What are these good for?" Sho explained, "There's an arcade in every Inn you visit. You can go there and earn some gold or items whether you're playing Rock, Paper, Scissors or Roulette."

Melody looked at the tickets. "Huh. I think we can find some good use in them. Thanks, Sho." Eric nodded and pocketed the tickets.

Sho turned to Irina and said, "Oh Irina. I never thought I'd be happier than I normally am to see your beautiful smile and luminous eyes."

"Same here, my darling."

Melody smirked a bit and whispered to Eric, "Let's leave these lovebirds to their reunion." Eric nodded and the team headed to a close-by Inn.

* * *

While Eric visited the Shop to get the team a couple more pieces of equipment, Melody checked out the arcade. A red velvet area with two rooms. One with a Roulette and another with Rock, Paper, Scissors. She decided to try the Roulette room since "Everyone's a winner." When she came out after spending her tickets, she had 2 MP Candies and a Pro Chef Uniform. "Scratch is gonna love this."

"Melody and Lilo are gonna love this." Eric exited the shop, with a Linen Mage Robe and a Bronze sword. Eric and Melody managed to run into each other as they were about to enter Scratch and Lilo's room.

"O-oh. Hey, Eric."

"Melody. You're just the person I needed to see." He then showed her the Linen Robe. Her eyes widened a bit with surprise. "Figured you needed a new robe since you're not really an apprentice anymore. Especially with that lightning spell you did."

Melody's smile widened as she then hugged Eric. "Thanks, Eric. Means a lot." She folded it over her left arm. "I take it the sword is for Lilo as well?" Eric nodded. "Cool. I won Scratch something with the game tickets we had."

"Well then, let's surprise them together." With a nod, Melody entered with Eric and they both showed off their gifts. Lilo smiled brightly and said her thanks to Eric. Scratch seemed surprised.

"So...what's the catch?" Melody was surprised by his statement.

"Catch? It's a gift. I won it for you. ...You do know what gifts are, right?"

"W-well uh...of course I do! I was just making sure." He took the cooking uniform out of her hands and looked it over. "This is...pretty nice." " _Robotnik never gave me or Grounder anything except beatings for being so useless…_ "

"Consider it a thank-you gift for being part of our team and all your help." Melody warmly smiled to him.

Scratch looked to the side. "O-oh...no need to thank me...really…"

Eric then spoke up. "Well. We should leave you two to rest. Got a big day tomorrow."

Melody added, "Right. We only have one more face left to find. We'll check the Riverdeep Caverns first thing tomorrow."

"G'night, you guys." Melody and Eric exited, Eric turning the lights off for them. Lilo laid down in her bed and said, "Goodnight, guys. And goodnight, Scratch." It did not take long for her to fall asleep.

As Eric and Melody went to their rooms, they quickly settled and fell asleep as well. The only one that didn't fall asleep immediately was Scratch. He was laying back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Sometimes, he would glance over at the neatly folded Pro Chef Uniform sitting on the end table.

" _...Why do I feel like this? I plan to leave them all soon as I find Grounder. I shouldn't feel hesitant._ "

" _...Right?_ "

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And once again, my procrastination and school resulted in this taking long to upload. Hope you guys weren't waiting too long. Sorry in advance. But don't worry, not abandoning this story. Though, it seems like Scratch is rethinking his plans as his thoughts argue against his emotions. We'll just have to see how it works out.


	8. What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Closer

The team approached the Riverdeep Cavern. Scratch was yawning due to not getting much sleep last night. Laying in bed in thought at night did not help with his confusing thoughts or sleep.

"Welp. Saddle up, team. We've got a face to find." Eric entered first with Lilo and Melody following behind him. Scratch rubbed his eyes and followed. It was a bit dark in the cave. What helped with the light was the glowing blue streams of water that flowed along the sides of their path.

Lilo looked around. "You know...when you get past the darkness, it's not so bad in here." Scratch stuck close to the team, a bit relieved that it was not fully dark inside.

"I remember when I'd come here to get to my favorite viewpoint of the castle. It's a sort of shortcut. Sometimes though, on hot days, I'd come here to cool off, dip my feet in the cool streams, and skip stones." Melody smiled a bit at the memories.

Soft wailing then echoed through the cavern, causing the team to stop and look around. Eric looked around cautiously, Melody had her broom ready, Lilo timidly stuck close to Eric, and Scratch began to shake a bit.

"What was that…?"

"I don't know, Lilo. ...Melody? Do you happen to know what caused that sound?" Eric kept his eyes forward.

"I honestly don't. I've never heard anything in this cavern except trickling water. ...Although, I've heard rumors that Banshees reside here. They're normally really shy though."

"Have you forgotten that the Dark Lord is around and taking every creature and turning them into monsters," Scratch whispered loudly.

"...Oh dear." As if right on cue, three Banshees flew right up to the team, each with a pair of Mii eyes. The team got into a battle stance.

Melody went first, using her lightning spell. Not a lot of damage unlike usual. "These guys seem tough. Keep on your toes!"

One Banshee went up to Lilo and jabbed her with her surprisingly stiff hair. Another then looked at Eric, who was ready for an attack. But instead of attacking, it started crying crocodile tears. Eric's kind heart softened and suddenly, he had streams of tears going down his cheeks as he started to sob.

He tried to go next, but the tears were blurring his vision. He missed when he swung his sword at one of the Banshees.

"Eric? What's wrong with you?" Lilo looked concerned.

"I don't knowww!" He still continued sobbing.

"I'll take care of Eric, you guys take care of the Banshees!" Melody grabbed Eric's hand and guided him to the back of the battle. Or as they like to call it: their Safe Spot.

"No, Mel. I-I can still fight."

"Rest, Eric. Even leaders need a break." Melody rubbed his head in comfort. Her mind told her to get back into the battle and help the team. But her kind heart told her to stay and comfort until the tears resided.

Meanwhile, Scratch used his Flambé move to hit the middle Banshee while Lilo jump slashed the same. The middle Banshee roughly hit Scratch next.

Soon, the streams of tears stopped and Eric finally stopped crying. His eyes were a bit red from so much crying, but least he can see a bit better and think straight.

"Whew...thanks, Mel." He smiled up at her.

"Anytime, Eric. C'mon." Smiling back, she helped him to his feet and the two entered back into battle. Melody did another lightning spell, finishing off the middle Banshee. One Banshee went up and attacked Eric while another looked at Lilo and cried her crocodile tears. Lilo, however, was unmoved by this. She knew better.

Eric then ordered, "Lilo, Scratch. Get the left Banshee. Melody and I will get the right." The team nodded, understanding the order. Lilo, showing off for Scratch, jump slashed the left Banshee. To finish it off, Scratch whacked it hard with its frying pan.

The right Banshee looked at Eric, ready to attack. Melody, however, spotted this and shouted to him, "Look out!" Alerted, Eric quickly managed to dodge its attack.

"Thanks for that, Melody." Melody nodded and used fire on the Banshee. Eric finished it off with a jump slash.

"Nice work, guys."

"You too, leader." Melody had a tiny smirk, despite panting a bit from battle.

"What happened to you, by the way? The Banshee just started crying, then you started crying. I've never seen anyone cry that hard before…" Eric looked down at Lilo and rubbed his eyes. Somehow, he felt like they were still damp.

"I think it was an ailment...we'll need to be careful if we face anymore Banshees. 'Cause let me tell ya, crying profusely like that is not enjoyable."

"Speaking from experience, I'm not surprised." Melody patted his back. "But let's keep going." The team continued forward.

As they ventured through the cavern, they faced more Banshees. Sometimes Cumulus clouds would accompany them. Somehow, Melody saw them as a fitting pair. If they were to mourn together, it would be a fitting scene. A Cumulus raining on a Banshee.

During their battles, Melody, Lilo, and Scratch eventually experienced what Eric went through, which they called the Crying ailment. Just as Eric stated, it was not an enjoyable experience. Eric did what Melody did to help them though. He would guide them to the Safe Spot and comfort a bit. Once the tears stopped, they jumped back into battle and finish them off.

They also came across these sort of...mini slime monsters. To Scratch, they looked like Apple Jelly, so that's what the team stuck with. They came in groups of 5 or more. Luckily, they were not too much of a challenge. Eric and Lilo even learned a new move from the experience. "Proud Protector." Like the warriors they are, they planned to defend those that are low on health by keeping their defense up and taking the hits for them.

When they found a few chests, most of them were filled with gold. Others had candy, bananas, game tickets. One large golden one had Bee Armor inside. Eric wanted to give that to Lilo since she needed to keep her defense up, but she insisted he should have it. "We'll need our leader to stand tall and lead us," was what she argued. Melody and Scratch agreed to that and Eric gave in, putting on the armor. He needed to be out of his Squire Armor anyways.

Finally, after taking down monster after monster and opening some chests, Eric spotted a light at the end of the cavern.

"That's it! That's the exit." Everyone ran forward. Once exiting the cavern, their feet touched the sand. They arrived at a tiny beach with a large stone stairwell.

"Up the stairs is a portion of the king's wall that did not proportionally fit with the rest of the wall. It was kind of left abandoned after the rest of the real wall was built." Melody then started going up the stairs. "Well let's not just stand there gawking. We've got a face to find." The rest soon followed up the stairs.

Once they reached the top, the view was mildly amazing. They could faintly see the castle from where they stood. Melody then stated, "There's a better view of the castle down this way."

"Nice as that sounds, we're not here to sightsee, Melody. Let's find that face." He headed forward while the rest followed, Melody, having a mildly un-amused expression as she mumbled, "It doesn't hurt to look at a nice view for less than 2 minutes."

The path was shorter than they expected. Once they reached the end of it, they all looked around.

"Wow, Melody's right. You do get a better view of the castle from here." Lilo smiled as she and Scratch looked over at it.

"Yeah...I wonder what it's like on the inside. No one's really ever allowed to go past Easin Hills to the real portion of the wall without authorization."

Eric stated, "That's nice, Melody. But in case you guys aren't noticing, there's no face here!"

The rest of the team looked at him.

Lilo asked, "Maybe we...missed a spot?"

Melody stated, "Jeez...well...we could always check back where we came. Maybe Lilo's right. We probably missed a path or something."

"Ho ho! But why would you want to leave without saying hello to me first?"

The whole team froze and looked ahead. Dark Lord Bill Cipher hovered down to them with the same evil grin. Eric, in a protective manner, stood in front of the rest of the team and had his sword ready.

"Hmph. It's not even worth the effort to crush you all myself. But I think I know something that can finish you off."

With his sinister grin widening a bit, he waved his hands. Then, in a puff of purple smoke, a new monster appeared. It looked like some sort of mini version of him. The final face then hovered down beside this monster. It was Se-young.

Dark Lord Bill Cipher then looked at the castle and showed a mischievous glint in his eyes. "So, that pile of stone must be the Greenhorne castle, yes?" Eric and Melody's eyes widened.

"And that useless king...I've got something special in store for him! Ahahahaha!" With that statement, he vanished.

Melody was the first to speak up. "King Tyler. The princess! Who knows what he's going to do to them when he gets there?"

Scratch spoke up, replying, "Won't he just do what he's been doing? Steal their faces?"

Melody looked at him. "It's different than doing it to a regular citizen! Without King Tyler's authority, the kingdom could crumble!"

"Guys. We've got bigger problems at the moment." Eric stepped back a bit as Se-young's face attached itself to the Imp. The rest of the team looked the same way and quickly got into battle stance.

4 more Apple Jellies also hopped into the battle. Eric looked at all the enemies laid out and began coming up with a strategy.

"Okay. Melody, you strike lightning on the Apple Jellies that are in between the Imp and the other Apple Jelly. Lilo and Scratch? Work with me to attack the Imp."

"Sounds like a plan, leader." Melody readied her wand with a determined smile.

"Got it!" Lilo held her sword and readied to strike.

"If you say so." Scratch held up his frying pan.

The Imp attacked first. It hit Melody with its pitchfork, reducing her health by half. It was then about to hit Eric until Lilo shouted him to jump back. He did so, and managed to dodge. 2 Apple Jellies attacked next. One hit Melody, but not as hard, and the other hit Eric.

Now it was the team's turn. Melody went first, striking lightning on the Apple Jelly on the left and in between another Apple Jelly and Imp Se-young. Lilo went next, jump slashing the Imp. Scratch flambés the Imp. Finally, Eric hits the Imp with his sword.

The Imp then formed darkness underneath it, swirling its pitchfork. It then stuck it in the dark hole and it appeared in front of Eric, striking him. That dealt a great amount of damage. An Apple Jelly attacked him, causing his health to drop to 2. The second Apple Jelly hit Melody, having her health at 3.

Lilo's protective instinct kicked in. She shouted, "I'll protect you guys!" Melody smiled a bit, then used lightning on the same Apple Jelly as before. Both Apple Jellies were down on that side. Scratch quickly cooked some food and gave it to Eric. After eating, Eric's health went back up to full.

"Whew...thanks Scratch."

"Can't have our leader dying on us."

The Imp then used its Naughty Pitchfork move, which was the pitchfork dipped in darkness move, and hit Lilo. Her guard was up though, so she did not take too much damage. It then moved to Melody to strike her. Lilo, still being in Proud Protector mode, stepped in front of her, sword up for defense.

"Leave it to me!" The Imp struck Lilo instead of Melody. Lilo was close to half low on her health, but still standing tall. Melody smiled at Lilo. "Thanks, Lilo." The two high-five and Lilo got back in position.

Melody struck the last two Apple Jellies with lightning and finished them off. Now all that was left was Imp Se-young. Lilo jump-slashed while Scratch flambéd. Eric jump-slashed as well.

Imp Se-young now used two Naughty Pitchfork moves. One hit Scratch while the other hit Melody. By hitting Melody, her health dropped to zero. That was when Scratch realized that he was so focused on hitting the Imp, he did not heal Melody.

"Ngh…" Her stance grew wobbly and she fell forward. The team's eyes widened.

"Melody!" Lilo and Scratch went to her side as the Imp cackled with its mini victory.

Eric looked right at the Imp and growled. Oh, it was going to PAY. Lilo and Scratch helped Eric with this next attack. With a large jump-slash, plus Lilo and Scratch's efforts, Imp Se-young was struck down. The Imp disappeared and Se-young's face flew off.

Melody and Scratch glowed with new knowledge from the experience the Imp gave them. Scratch learned how to make Banana Fritters out of the bananas they had, thus giving it more healing effect. Melody learned a new spell. A Sleep Tight spell. Most likely used to put someone to sleep to help with healing.

Speaking of Melody, the rest of the team looked her over. Lilo looked panicked, Scratch looked worried, and Eric seemed concerned. Eric carefully rolled her onto her back and checked her pulse.

"...Whew...she's still alive." The rest of the team exhaled with relief. Then, Melody shifted and opened her eyes a bit.

Lilo hugged Melody as she sat up a bit, making sure to be gentle with her injuries. "Melody! You're okay!"

Scratch hovered behind Lilo. "I-I'm so sorry, Melody! I should've cooked food for you! I was just so focused on the battle and-and-"

"Scratch...it's fine. Least I'm..ngh..alive right?"

Eric spoke up. "Just barely. Glad you're okay." He gently rubbed her head.

Scratch pulled out one of his bananas and used his new ability to make a banana fritter for Melody. He held out the frying pan to her. "Here...this might help."

Melody smiled and ate it, regaining her lost health. "Mm...thanks, Scratch."

"Can you walk?" Melody looked at Eric and tried to stand. Aside from being a bit stiff and sore, she was in less pain than before.

"Yeah...I think I'll be good."

"Great. Let's get back to Greenhorne then." Eric headed forward, with the rest of the team following. At the same time, they kept a close eye on Melody to make sure she won't pass again.

* * *

Se-young's face flew right back down to Se-young and reattached itself. "Oh! My face! My smile is back!" She smiled brightly as she patted her cheeks.

Once Eric and the team arrived at her food stand, Eric asked, "How are you feeling, Se-young?"

"As happy as a...well...really happy person! Adventurers, you've all done so much for us. Let me show my gratitude." She gave them two bowls of...Sharp Stew? "It's a rare dish that can only be found in Powdered Peaks or all the way in Karkaton. Every hero needs a good dish to boost their stats, after all."

Eric smiled gratefully and packed away the two bowls. "Thanks, Se-young." With all lost faces now rescued, the dark clouds seemed to have disappeared and the sun shone in Greenhorne village.

Mayor Bowen, who looked around in mild shock. "What? When did the town get back to normal? Oh, that is good news. Very good news indeed!" He looked at the heroes. "Thank you all. Greenhorne is safe because of you."

"Er...not exactly." Eric explained to the mayor about what Dark Lord Bill told them. Mayor Bowen's eyes widened with fear.

"What? The Dark Lord is heading to the castle? This is bad! We're done for!"

Eric looked at Melody, wordlessly questioning how a man like Bowen came to be an authoritative figure of the village. Melody only shrugged. Eric looked back to Mayor Bowen when he spoke.

"Adventurers. W-would you go after the Dark Lord?" Eric nodded. If the king is in danger, then he has to be there to protect him. The rest of the team agreed with Eric as they nodded or gave Mayor Bowen a thumbs-up.

"Well then." He dug through his pockets and pulled out a scroll. He handed it to Eric. "You'll need this to get into the castle. And please...take care." Eric pocketed the scroll, giving the mayor a nod.

"First. Let's rest up at the inn, then head to the castle." Eric looked to Melody, knowing after their last battle, she must be exhausted.

* * *

A copper wand and a magical robe that looks somehow reminded Melody of Mickey Mouse's outfit from Fantasia. Guess saving up that gold helped. Scratch also got a new frying pan, which looked like a doughnut. Lilo and Eric now have matching armor and swords, which are Copper Armor and Pink Ribbon Swords. Both warriors aren't exactly enthusiastic about the frilly swords, but they are sturdier than their Bee Swords.

While Eric and Lilo were asleep in their room, Melody was laying on her side in her bed, close to falling asleep.

"...Melody?" Melody's eyes remained closed, but she heard Scratch's whisper.

"Yeah…?"

"...I'm...sorry again for...what happened in our last battle. I should have paid attention to your health as well."

"Scratch, it's fine, really. What matters is that we all made it out alive and saved all the faces here. ...Well...aside from my parents. But I'm sure we'll find their faces. ...But really, don't beat yourself up over it."

"...Okay."

Smiling a bit, Melody went back to falling asleep. Meanwhile, Scratch stared at the ceiling once more. " _Why? I'll leave them at some point. ...Why do I care about their well-being? Robotnik didn't. He also taught me to never apologize. ...So where did that come from?_ "

He took another glance as Melody and recalled a few good memories with the team.

" _Melody. Lilo. Meet our newest team member Scratch_."

" _Consider it a thank-you gift for being a part of our team and all your help_."

" _Yeah, Scratch! Keep going! We'll be fit against those monsters in no time!_ "

Scratch then had a smile form on his face as he laid back, looking at the ceiling. He then closed his eyes and relaxed, ready to fall asleep.

" _Y'know what? ...I think I'm okay with this feeling._ "

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A small note. The last thought Scratch had was when Lilo and Scratch did some "Training Time" with each other. Just one of the many ways everyone has bonded with each other. Now a new mission is at hand. Let's hope they can reach the castle before something goes wrong.


	9. Bonny Good (Large) King Tyler

"So...this is the way in?" Eric and the rest of the team looked up a less worn out stone staircase that leads up to the large stone wall that surrounded the castle.

"Should be." Melody started going up first. Eric and the rest followed behind her.

"Halt!" The team froze and looked at the source of the voice. A guard with brown hair plus aftershave stood nearby, wearing silver armor and black padding.

Eric looked at the team, wordlessly telling them that he can handle this. He stepped forward, keeping his sword sheathed. "Um..hello, mister…?"

"Soldier Guillermo. You four are approaching Greenhorne Castle. I am sorry, but I cannot allow you all to pass."

Melody whispered to Lilo and Scratch, "Told ya."

Eric cleared his throat. "Sir Guillermo. We've traveled from the village of Greenhorne bearing news that the Dark Lord threatens this kingdom. We seek an audience with the king to help lead us to victory against the Dark Lord. We have authorization from Mayor Bowen." He pulls out the rolled up scroll, tied with a ribbon, and hands it to Guillermo.

Guillermo unrolled the scroll and read it over. "Hm...I see. My apologies. You may go ahead." With a small friendly smile, he stepped to the side and motioned them to pass.

The whole team smiled, grateful. They headed forward and towards the king's castle. As they walked along the wall, Melody's eyes started to sparkle.

"I've never seen the castle this close. And we're going to see King Tyler himself! I feel so honored."

"I've never met a king before, but I hope he's a nice one." Lilo smiled a bit as she looked at the castle as well.

Scratch asked her, "Wait. Then who rules over Neksdor kingdom if there's no king?"

"Oh no. We do have a king, but the prince is more well known. But uh...Prince Ryuji isn't exactly 'proper' in my opinion."

"Hey, Melody. Didn't you say there was a princess living there?" Eric was still walking forward, leading the group to the castle.

"Nah. Princesses are always in another castle." She smirked at the joke and Eric looked at her, unamused.

"Be serious, Melody."

After a tiny chuckle, Melody replied, "Okay. On a serious note, yes. Princess Rose lives there."

"Princess Rose, huh?"

"You think she's single?" Scratch earned a punch to the arm from Melody.

"Of course she is. But do you think she'll take a robotic chicken for a husband?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means one simple thing. You're not royalty. King Tyler won't permit it, even if she wanted to marry you or something."

The two then stopped arguing when they heard familiar wails. Eric looked back to the team with a mildly concerned expression.

"I'm uh...sure it was just the Banshees from the Riverdeep Cavern. We're just close to it…"

Just as Eric stated that, however, four Banshees appeared behind him.

"Eric, watch out!" Melody quickly used fire on the closest one to him. Eric, spotting them, jumped back and went to the team's side.

He quickly unsheathed his Pink Ribbon Sword. "Here too?!"

"Isn't it suppose to be the guards' job to protect the castle?!" Scratch had his frying pan ready.

"Well, it's our job now." Melody and Lilo got into a battle stance.

The Banshees attacked. Most just hit them while at least one or two would cry crocodile tears. Scratch and Eric resisted the most, but Lilo and Melody were afflicted with the Crying ailment. With Eric's help in getting them to the Safe Spot, they all continued battling. It did not take too long for them to finish off the Banshees.

While panting, Scratch spoke up first. "What are monsters doing on this side of the wall?"

Eric looked up at the castle. "The Dark Lord must have slipped in and sent his lackeys to keep the guards busy or something…"

"Then we'd better hurry." Melody started heading forward with the rest following beside her.

As they headed to the castle, more Banshees, Apple Jelly slimes, and some Cumulus clouds attacked them. The more they fought, however, the easier it got. Lilo and Eric learned a new move as well. "Snap Out of It." This move was extremely beneficial to the team. Lilo and Eric, without moving any members to the Safe Spot, could use it to literally snap the ailments away and allow the member to take their turn.

Soon, the team reached the grand double doors of the king's castle. They open as another soldier stood at the door. "Come in. We've been expecting you." Soon as the team entered, their eyes widened.

The halls were gorgeous and fancy. Red carpeting, lit candle chandeliers, and marble wall and pillars. Melody's eyes were wide and sparkling while Lilo was smiling with astonishment. Scratch smiled with amazement. " _Now I wonder how Grounder missed this place. It's practically made of gold!_ " Eric continued forward, quietly amazed by the decor. If he ever wanted a castle, it would be something similar to this. Only black. Like shadows. That way, it would intimidate any thieves or attackers.

An ivory double door stood in the middle of the hallway, with two guards standing watch. Soldier Guillermo was one of the guards. The team approached the door and Soldier Guillermo motioned them to enter. Lilo quickly checked for any smudges on her armor while Melody smoothed out her mage robe. Eric opened the doors and looked in.

"Welcome, traveler!"

Eric looked in the direction of the voice. What he saw made him practically fall over in shock. Two soldiers were holding a giant pedestal...which was supporting the KING! He was massive! Not so much in size, but in...roundness, to say in a somewhat polite way. He had dirty blond hair, blue sky colored eyes, and wore regal red clothes that seemed to stretch. The soldiers set, or more like dropped, him, causing the ground to shake and rumble under their feet.

"Eric, why are you-...oh my goodness." Melody's eyes were wide. Since she's never seen the king in person, it purely shocked her by what she saw.

Lilo peeked out and shouted, "Sweet mother of Elvis Presley!" Then, she quickly covered her mouth, not intending to shout like that.

Scratch looked in and his jaw practically dropped. " _And I thought Robotnik was large...this guy takes the cake! ...And the rest of the feast for that matter._ " He internally snickered to himself for that joke.

Recovering from the shock, Eric stood back up and quickly tried to look polite. "S-sorry, your majesty. It's just…"

"I know. I make that sort of impact often to my citizens." The king chuckled, holding a royal roast in his right hand and smiling down to the team.

Melody quickly snapped out of her shock as well and quickly curtseyed. "It's an honor to finally meet you, your highness."

Lilo took a noble stance. "Sir...I'm sorry, what is your name?" Despite her noble stance, she asked that question shyly. The king chuckled a bit to that.

"King Tyler, young warrior."

Lilo smiled in a way of saying thank you and continued. "I come from the kingdom of Neksdor, joining these heroes on a quest to take down the Dark Lord Bill Cipher."

Eric spoke up next. "She is right, your majesty. The Dark Lord has attacked Greenhorne, stealing the faces of the citizens."

King Tyler seemed a bit surprised. "This miscreant stole the people's faces, you say?" Eric nodded.

After the king took a couple large bites of his royal roast, he looked down at Eric, unamused. "Pfft. What makes you think I will believe such a tall tale?"

Then, all of the sudden, the king's face started to glow and it gently flew off his head. Eric's eyes widened as the rest of the team gasped.

King Tyler's eyes widened. "W-what's going on?!" A dark chuckle was heard outside one of the windows of the throne room as the face flew off through it. "H-help!"

The king, now faceless, started panicking. He flailed his arms and knocked over large plates of food, causing the team to step back to keep from getting crushed or hit.

Melody quickly ran to the window and looked out. "Oh no." Eric and the rest joined her side. "It went into the Wayward Woods...and it looks like it's really deep in there."

Scratch asked, "That's...bad, right?"

Lilo's expression became nervous. "I was there before Eric and Melody found me...and it wasn't a safe journey through."

Eric's expression turned serious. "Then we gotta get that face back asap." He made a run to the doors with the team quickly following behind.

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Whew. For a short chapter, this took longer to make. Well, now the team members have a new mission at hand. Let us hope the Wayward Woods will be merciful to them. Also if your name is Tyler irl, I swear I mean no way of insulting you. It's a generic guy name. x)


	10. You're Not Alone Anymore

**I will warn.** This chapter contains sensitive content of self-harm and/or possible abuse. If this in any way makes you uncomfortable, you do not have to read this chapter. If you still wish to read this but avoid said content, scroll past the paragraph that starts with "...Home." and start at: "'...I'm actually a bit tired, Melody.'" You all have been warned.

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The team stared into the lush thick forest. Compared to Strange Grove, it was much larger and more fertile. Lilo was holding Eric's hand, recalling the trouble she went through in there. All those monsters and hiding she needed to do…

"So, why do they call it Wayward Woods?" Scratch broke the silence while looking at Melody.

"Well, we would've gone with 'Get Lost Woods,' but that was just considered too rude. They say when you enter Wayward Woods, it gets extremely difficult to navigate through."

"Speaking from experience...I can agree with that." Her hold on Eric's hand tightened a bit.

Eric looked down at her and gave her a comforting smile while rubbing her head. "Don't worry. We'll be in and out. Just keep together, team."

The rest of the members nodded in understanding and carefully entered. Not even over 10 steps in the woods and monsters attack. So far, they were just familiar monsters such as Banshees and Smileshrooms. A new monster came in however that really ticked Eric off a bit. Moles.

With the pair of Mii eyes they have, the Moles always looked so smug, especially when they attack. They would hold a rock in their paw and toss it back in a way of sarcastically saying, "Oopsie~. My bad." What made it worse was sometimes the team's regular attacks did not hit him. Those darn Moles would duck into their hole, making them completely miss.

After discovering this, Melody just stuck with her magic. Scratch was struggling the most since he does not have abilities like the rest and had to stick with using his frying pan. There was a couple waste of Flambés. As for Lilo and Eric, they just stuck with what they got and tried to use their abilities carefully.

After hours of constant monster fighting, the team was exhausted. It has been a long day for them. Eric looked up at the sky. "We should make camp. It'll be dark soon." The stars were already starting to show in the sky as the moon began to rise. Eric spotted an opening close by and stated that they'll camp there.

While Eric started pitching up a tent, Lilo gathered firewood while Scratch did the cooking. Melody used her fire magic to light the campfire and started getting the makeshift beds set up.

Scratch was quietly trying to saute the mushrooms he got from the Smileshroom monster but seemed to be struggling. Melody smiled a bit and knelt down beside him. "Try having them cooked in olive oil and sprinkle a bit of garlic on top."

Scratch looked at her a bit questionable, but nodded and pulled out said ingredients. The benefit of being programmed to be a chef was having basic cooking ingredients on hand. Once the olive oil was added, it started to sizzle like it should. When the garlic was added, the scent was delicious. Melody then gently held Scratch's wrists, having him lightly shake the pan back and forth so it could cook evenly.

Scratch glanced over at her. "You uh, sure know a lot about cooking."

"I help my dad and mom sometimes in the kitchen. They gave me a few tips in case I was ever interested in being a chef. Magic is still my desired job, but I still like to cook...and sing sometimes." She glanced to the side on that last statement.

Scratch smiled a bit. Given the amount of time he's spent with all of them, he grew to enjoy their company. He's still trying to keep his personal mission at hand though.

After everything was set, everyone sat around the campfire, eating dinner. The only one that seemed to enjoy the mushroom sauté was Melody. It was not because they were cooked wrong; it was because the rest were not big mushroom fans like Melody. But they all had their favorite dishes. Lilo did enjoy some Hieroglyphic toast with Butterfly Honey while Scratch and Eric enjoyed the Slime Jelly. No one wanted the Banshee Tears though.

Once dinner was done, Melody spoke up. "One of us should stay up and stand watch in case a monster decides to ambush us while we rest."

Eric raised his hand and said, "I'll do it. You guys get some rest."

The team nodded and entered their tent, saying goodnight to Eric. Keeping his sword close to him, Eric stayed by the campfire, keeping a lookout. He also took the time to look up at the stars in the sky. He's never seen this many back at home. ...It was beautiful.

...Home. Wonder what his father is thinking now. Does he miss Eric at all? ...Doubtful. Eric quietly looked down at his arm and quietly rolled down his sleeves. He left that life behind...all for the better.

Rustling is then heard behind him as the tent quietly opened. Eric looked back and Melody peered out.

"Melody? What are you doing up?"

"Couldn't sleep. So I thought I'd stand watch with you." With a tiny smile, she sat down beside him. "Plus, I'd thought you could use the company."

"You sure? It wasn't a nightmare or anything, right?"

"Positive. And no. You know me now, Eric. I've been getting better."

Eric gave a quiet nod and continued watching the stars.

"...Remind me, Mel." Melody looked at him. "What are...what are your parents like?"

Odd question to her, but she decided to refresh his memory. "Well, my mom is a bit of a tough lover. Not as gentle as my dad, but still wants what is best for me and supports me no matter what job I take. Dad, on the other hand, is super sweet. He always supports me and only wants me to be happy in life. He never pressures me or otherwise. ...I just hope I can find their faces soon."

Eric was tugging on his sleeve now. His expression showed mild pain. Melody, noticing this, looked at him. "Hey. You okay?"

Eric rubbed his eyes and looked to the side. "I'm fine." He made a large mistake when he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. It tugged back a bit and Melody noticed something.

"Wait a minute…" She then grabbed his arm gently and pulled his sleeve back. Eric tried to stop her...but the damage was seen. A few faint scars were on his arm. Cuts.

Melody looked up at him. "Where did you get these?" They're too faint to be from a monster recently...unless this is an HP banana side-effect.

Eric pulled his arm away and rolled down his sleeve. "Nowhere."

Melody was not buying it. "...Eric. Please. ...I just want to know if you're okay."

Eric remained silent and his head turned away from Melody.

"...Fine then. I'll just...make sure Scratch and Lilo are sleeping well." She quietly stood up and walked to the tent.

"...I wasn't happy back home."

Melody stopped and looked back to him. Then, she quietly sat back down beside him. Her silence was a sign for him to keep going.

"After my mom died...my dad wasn't the same. He used to be almost as nice as yours is. But after mom...he changed. It's like something snapped in him. He would discourage me, dismiss me, or sometimes even forget me."

Melody's eyes widened. She gently placed her hand on his arm. "Did he...do this to you?"

"...No. I did."

Shock. That's all Melody felt now.

"Bullied at school, dismissed by family, and just...believing I am to blame for all the bad constant things that happen? ...I thought it was the only way to help with the pain if it was something else. I stopped after a few cuts...realizing it wasn't going to help." He then hugged his tucked up knees. "But I didn't know what else to do...so I left home."

Melody now had sympathetic tears in her eyes. This poor boy. Thank god he stopped, but still. She then noticed through the side of his frizzy hair a few tears of his own. Wiping her own tears away, she gently held Eric's hands and lightly tugged them off his tucked up knees.

Eric's head remained down, refusing to look at her. But he did jolt when he felt her embrace him. It was not like the night she had a nightmare and seeking comfort. Instead, she was _giving_ comfort. He could feel that.

"I'm sorry for all you've been through...but I can do whatever I can to make it better for you. I promise. You're not alone anymore."

A few more tears rolled down Eric's cheeks as he quietly hugged her back. A few apologies were even heard from him. Keeping all this bottled up...it felt like a weight was lifted off his back when he finally opened up.

When Melody heard his apologies, she gently replied to them, "I forgive you." Recalling what she stated, she kept that locked in her memories. A promise has been made.

" _Why are promises so important?_ "

" _Well honey, a promise means that you are willing to keep whatever you said you would do, no matter what._ "

" _Then...I promise to keep all promises the best I can!_ "

A chuckle is heard in the memory. " _I know you will, princess._ "

A couple tears showed in her eyes, but she had a small warm smile. " _I won't let you down, dad._ "

Eric sniffled a bit and unhugged her, rubbing his eyes once more. Melody helped him by wiping away his tears.

"...I'm actually a bit tired, Melody. I think I have been for a while now." He let out a small sigh. "But those monsters are still out there. Waiting."

"Eh. Worry about them tomorrow when we fight them. I'll take over your shift. I will watch the heck out of these woods."

With a yawn, Eric leaned onto her side. "Okay. Maybe for a bit. Just...don't let me sleep too late. Promise you'll wake me when you get tired?"

"I promise." Eric soon fell asleep and Melody kept watch.

* * *

Next morning, Eric was awake and Melody was resting, head on his lap and sleeping peacefully. After a couple more hours of keeping watch, Melody started to get drowsy. She did not want to disturb Eric from a peaceful rest, but she had a promise to keep. After that, Eric kept watch for the rest of the night.

Scratch yawned as he and Lilo exited the tent. "Did we miss anything?" Scratch rubbed his eyes.

Lilo smiled at him. "Great job keeping watch, Eric."

"Heh, thanks. Melody helped a bit though." As if on cue, Melody mumbled a bit and sat up, rubbing her eyes.

"Did any monsters come?"

"Nope. Not on your shift?"

"No...so great." She showed a small sleepy smile to him, having him smile back.

"Well, we'd better get moving. We got a king's face to rescue." Scratch doused out the lightly lit fire pit and took down the tent.

Eric looked at Melody and whispered, "So...about last night…"

Melody just smiled and said, "Don't worry, Eric. My lips are sealed." She made a zipping motion over her mouth.

"Thanks, Mel."

She gave him a nod and the team was back on the trail.

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Well. Now we have Eric's backstory. I think we can all agree Melody is going to make sure he is well taken care of, as anyone should given his condition. Always remember: you're never alone.


	11. A Daughter's Determination

After a bit of traveling and wandering, Melody noticed out of the corner of her eyes a couple flashing lights. "Hey, guys! I think I see the king's face!" She headed in the direction the flashes were coming from.

"Wait, really? I thought it was further in than this." Eric quickly followed behind her. Once they reached an opening, Melody ran to the...two light orbs? Wasn't there only one?

When the innocent miis' faces were shown, Melody froze as her eyes widened. The team quickly went to her side as Melody remained frozen.

"M-mom...dad…" Tears showed in her eyes.

"Wait. That's her parents?" Scratch was a bit surprised.

Eric immediately got into a battle stance as a couple new monsters appeared with a puff of purple smoke. A floating Spirit Sword and Spirit Shield. "Yep. And we're going to rescue them." The faces attached to the shield and sword and faced the team members.

Melody wiped away her tears and looked more determined than any of her previous battles. Both monsters were difficult for the whole team. Their attack was strong and sometimes, much like Eric and Melody do in battle for weak members, they take hits for the other. Lilo and Eric gave as much strength as they could in their attacks while Melody used her strongest spells. Scratch remained concentrated on the team's health and made sure to keep them alive. When their health is high enough, he would attack, using his Flambé move the most.

Soon, both the Spirit Sword and Shield were defeated and both faces were released. Melody did not hesitate to follow them, which was deeper into Wayward Woods.

"Wait, Melody! We're going way off the trail!" After calling out, Eric quickly followed.

"Eric! Wait!" "Slow down!" Both Lilo and Scratch quickly tried to follow.

Running through thorny bushes and slipping into creeks, Melody did not stop for any obstacle. Her robe was now slightly torn and she had a cut on her leg. A few leaves were stuck in her curly hair as well.

Soon, she finally stopped when she found two faceless Miis huddled together under a large tree in another opening. One Mii was a tall woman with slightly curly, short, brown hair while the other was a man with black short hair and aftershave.

Both faces reattached to their proper Mii and the two looked at each other, smiling with relief.

"Mom! Dad!" Both parents looked up as Melody was running to them. They both called out to her and opened their arms. Melody jumped right into them, hat flying off and wand dropped. Tears were shed by all three of them.

"I'm so glad you're okay, sweetie." Melody smiled up at her dad.

"Same to you guys. I thought you were going to disappear…"

"But...how is this possible? The Dark Lord attacked and…" Her mom then looked up, seeing Eric and the rest of the team run in, panting. Then she looks down at Melody once more. "Are those new garments?"

"Melody...have you…?" Melody stood up, grabbed her hat and wand, and went to the team's side.

"Yeah, dad. I've been fighting with these guys against the Dark Lord's monsters. We're all on a mission to take down the Dark Lord and bring him to justice. But first, we gotta find King Tyler's face and-"

"What?!" Melody's mom now stood up, causing Melody to freeze from the sudden outburst.

"You've been off fighting monsters and putting yourself in danger? The whole reason we told you to run was to keep you safe! The Dark Lord is a dangerous being and you shouldn't be anywhere _near_ him!"

"But...mom, I'm perfectly fine. I've even improved my magic and-"

"Those cuts are telling me otherwise." She pointed out Melody's small cut on her leg and slightly torn robe. Melody looked down.

"O-oh no no, mom. That was from running through the wilderness, not the monsters." Eric lightly plucked the leaves out of her hair.

"And who are these strangers?"

"They're not strangers; they're my new friends. We're all a team." The rest nodded.

"Yeah. My name's Lilo."

"I'm Scratch."

"And I'm Eric."

Melody's mother's expression relaxed a bit, but she remained serious. "Nice to meet you all, but Melody, we're going right home."

"-..What?" Now it was Melody's turn to be shocked. "N-no, mom. I have to help them. We've gotta rescue King Tyler's face and find the Dark Lord so we can stop him."

The mother looked right at Melody's father. "Blake, talk to her."

But just as he was about to speak, Melody's mother interrupted. "Fight the DARK LORD?! You only _just_ got your job!"

"Well if we don't stop him, who will? King Tyler's in danger and is counting on us to save him. We already saved the Miis in our village. I want to keep helping!"

"You will be helping. You will help reassure us your safety by coming home with us."

"I'm not leaving the team."

Melody's mother looked at Blake once more. "Talk to her."

He waited for a moment to see if she'll interrupt. After confirming she won't, he approached Melody and looked down at her. "How far away is the nearest inn?"

"Uh...just outside the woods right before you reach the castle."

"After you get the king's face, make sure to stop by there and replenish your energy."

Melody's mom was now shocked once more. "Blake, what are you-"

"If she got this far, Kaitlyn, then I'm sure she can go further." Melody's eyes widened a bit.

"B-but…"

Blake lightly put his hand on Melody's shoulder and guided her to off the side so they could privately talk. Meanwhile, Kaitlyn looked to the rest of the team. Eric started to explain what has been happening and what good Melody has done with them.

"Melody. Are you sure you're aware of what you're getting yourself into?"

"Given how many times we've already encountered the Dark Lord and seen what he's done? Yes. ...I know you and mom are worried, but I promise you this: I'll be safe as long as I have the team. I'm already learning new spells and getting stronger just being here with them. I can do lightning."

Blake looked at her as if studying her actions and expression. He then smiled warmly.

"I'm very proud of you, Melody. You're already growing up as a strong Mii. Just...make sure you're careful and you will come home safe. Keep true to that promise."

Melody smiled a bit warmly as well. "I'll make sure to. Thanks, dad." The two then hug, Blake a bit firmer than Melody. One of his memories of her appeared in his mind as he recalled her wearing a large blanket and colander on her head, following her dream as a mage and pretending to do spells. Now? A grown girl who is becoming a great mage and plans to help the world. A few tears appeared in his eyes. He wasn't sure if it was because he could not be any more proud or he's worried she will not be the same little princess he came to know and love.

Meanwhile, after Eric was done with Kaitlyn, she started talking to them.

"So...Melody has been learning more spells from fighting those monsters and you're all here to protect her just like she is to you?"

"Correct." Eric nodded. "In fact, if she did not show up when I was just starting off as a warrior and surrounded by monsters, I don't think I would be standing here now."

Kaitlyn looked over to Blake and Melody, who were now walking back to them. She then approached Melody and gently brushed her hand through Melody's curly hair. "Melody...I don't want to lose you."

"Mom. You won't. I promise I'll be okay." She smiled a bit at her and gently held her hand. Kaitlyn hugged her next and Melody hugged back.

"Just...come home safe, okay?"

"Of course." Kaitlyn unhugged and went to Blake's side.

"Are you guys going to be okay getting home on your own?"

Both parents nodded, then started heading back on the trail, heading in the direction of the castle and beyond to Greenhorne village.

Eric looked to Melody as she rubbed her eyes with her robe sleeve. "Hey. You alright?"

"Yeah...just happy they're okay." She had a small smile showing.

Scratch spoke up next. "Why didn't you choose to go back with them?" The team looked at him. "You finished your personal mission. ...Shouldn't you be with them now?"

Melody smiled a bit more. "Nah. It may have been my mission from the start, but I know you guys are going to need a mage on your team. And like I said to mom. If we don't take down Dark Lord Bill Cipher, who will?"

Lilo looked up at her. "So you're really going to stay?"

Melody rubbed Lilo's head. "All the way." Lilo and Eric smiled. Scratch was still mildly shocked. Despite all the danger they have been getting into, she still plans to keep going.

Eric then looked at Melody's profile and his smile faded. "We should probably fix you up though."

"I have some bandages we can use. Figured in case the bananas would not help as much, I would bring a bit of first aid." Lilo held up a small roll of bandages.

"Brilliant." Eric smiled and helped Melody wrap the bandage over the cut on her leg. "That should keep it from getting infected or worse until we find an inn."

"Thanks, b-Eric." She quickly corrected herself, almost not realizing what she almost said. Thankfully, Eric just missed it. He stood up and looked at Lilo and Scratch.

"Well then. Let's carry on."

The team nodded and headed back to the trail. Melody was staying behind Eric, looking up at him as they walked. Scratch was doing the same to Melody, only looking down since he was the tallest of the group.

" _Man...bonds are strong._ "

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I know. The chapter is a bit short. Originally, this was going to be in the last chapter, but it was growing a bit too long together and I feel like it would just be jumping from one subject to another. That's why I got two chapters up in one day so quickly. xD


	12. Living in Luxury

The deeper the team journeyed into the woods, the more monsters they encountered. Now, there were not only Smileshrooms and Banshees but also Rock and Poison Moths. The Poison Moths were stronger than the Rock Moths because of their poisonous mist. A couple members were almost knocked out due to such an attack. But, the team stuck together and pulled through.

Scratch even got to learn something new. "Spicy Dish." He gave it a try next battle, cooking some spicy food and serving it to Melody. When she took a bite, her cheeks went red and she shouted, "Ahhh! Spicyyyy!" When she screamed, fire shot out of her mouth and hit the monster, knocking it out and releasing the Mii's face.

"What the heck, Scratch?" She gave him a tiny glare as she pulled out her water bottle to drink water and soothe her burning tongue.

Scratch was surprised, to say the least. "S-sorry. I thought it would give you energy or something…"

Lilo piped in, "Well, least we got damage to one of the monsters." She pointed to where the monster last stood.

"I can't handle spicy food at all though. Just...have someone else do it next time or...stick with Flambés."

Scratch lightly twiddled his feathered fingers and glanced down. "Right...I'm sorry."

Melody let out a small sigh and showed a tiny smile. "It's alright. All I'm saying is just be careful about how you use that special move." Scratch showed a tiny smile back, a bit grateful she is not angry with him.

The team ventured on, facing the same kind of monsters. As the sun began to set, Melody looked to Eric.

"Hey, leader. Are you sure we're not lost?"

"Of course we aren't lost. We just...don't know where we are exactly."

"Sure." She let out a small sigh and looked up at the sky. "If we don't find the king soon, we'll have to make camp again."

Lilo was sitting on Scratch's shoulders, tired and sore from all the walking and fighting. Scratch was quietly looking around at the scenery when he noticed a flash of light down to the right.

"Hey, guys!" Both Melody and Eric looked at him. "I think I spotted something!"

Eric looked in the same direction as Scratch and his eyes widened. "That's gotta be it!" He ran forward, causing Melody and Scratch to quickly follow.

Sure enough. After stumbling into an opening, King Tyler's face floated there. It shouted, "Help the royal face!" Then in a puff of purple smoke, a sort of figure or soldier made entirely of stone appeared.

"Oh no...a Golem," Melody recalled facing one before she gained more experience. Barely made it out alive.

The king's face attached to the Golem and the monster stood tall, letting out a roar. The team quickly took a battle stance and began attacking. While either showing off or lending a hand, Eric and Lilo did jump slashes, Melody stuck with her fire spells, and Scratch used a few Flambés.

Now when the Golem attacked, it basically just punched them. But when it did hit, it hit them _hard_. Practically half of their HP drops from such damage. Thankfully, Scratch aided in healing as he focused on the member with the lowest health, including himself. As the team stayed standing, they continued using most of their strength. Their bonds aided in increasing the attack power as well.

Finally, with Scratch and Melody giving the final blow, the Golem crumbled and the face was released. It then quickly flew off to the castle.

All members were panting. That battle was rough, but they all made it through without anyone going unconscious or worse.

Eric looked at the rest of the members. "Alright, guys. Let's head to the castle to make sure King Tyler's face gets back safely, then we'll find a place to rest for the night." They all nodded, more motivated by the idea of resting, and headed back the way they came. Luckily, Eric kept track of how the path went and they navigated out safely.

* * *

Once the king's face was back on, he put his hands on his cheeks and said, "Oh thank goodness…" Then after clearing his throat, "Guards! Mirror please!" He clapped his hands twice and the support guards brought him a large mirror.

The team arrived just in time to see the king examine over his face, even make a couple silly ones. Scratch and Lilo chuckled a bit while Melody and Eric seemed relieved.

"How wonderful! The royal countenance is restored!" King Tyler then got teary-eyed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" He sniffled as he wiped his tears away. "Please accept our royal gratitude."

The support guards then brought in a large bag of gold. Inside was 1500 G. Scratch's eyes sparkled and Eric was surprised.

Melody and Lilo spoke at the same time as they shouted, "Wow!" Grateful, Eric smiled and pocketed the gold, while bowing to the king, thanking him.

King Tyler smiled a bit and then said, "Now...we must replenish ourselves." He then started chomping on the royal roast that was still in hand. Eric rolled his eyes with a tiny smirk.

"Well, glad to see you're okay now, your highness. If you will excuse us, we will take our leave and rest for the night."

The king stopped eating. "Wait. Where will you rest?"

"Um...at an inn?"

"No, no, no, no, boy. After all you've done, you deserve to lap in luxury! At least for the night, stay in the royal guest rooms." Eric was a bit surprised, to say the least.

Scratch spoke up, saying, "Is it just for him or…?"

"No, no. All of you! You all had a long day's journey and aided in getting the royal face back. It's the least I can do to repay you...I mean, aside from giving you more gold."

Melody and Lilo high-fived, excited on the idea of living in luxury in the _king's_ castle. Scratch almost considered more gold, but the idea of resting on a bed fit for kings sounds pretty nice.

"Guards. Show these guests to their room." One of the support guards nodded and motioned the team out of the throne room. Going back down the hallway, they arrived at two pairs of doors. Eric and Melody decided to be in one room while Lilo and Scratch were on the other.

Once they entered, all of them were surprised and greatly delighted. Soft red carpeting, smooth ivory walls, their own polished bathroom, silk red curtains, and queen-sized beds for each member. Lilo and Melody were the first in each room to try the beds. The blankets were warm and soft, there were a lot of pillows, and the bed itself was as soft as a cloud.

"Mmm...I haven't been on a bed this nice in, well, ever! I'm not sure I even want to leave now." She chuckled a bit as she snuggled into a pillow. Eric watched in mild amusement as he set his equipment aside and sat on his own bed.

"...Hey Melody?"

"Yeah, leader?"

"...How come you still chose to stay?" Melody opened her eyes as her smile faded. She then sat up, still hugging her pillow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...didn't you just want to find your parents and be done? Why did you choose to stay? I mean, I'm not complaining! I love having you on our team. But I'm just really wondering why."

Melody looked down in thought for a few moments, then adjusted her sitting position so she sat with her legs crossed. "Well...to be honest, I guess my priorities changed. When I helped you the day we met, I only just wanted to find my parents. I figured, 'He's a Warrior. Maybe he can help me find my family.' But, as time passed and we got to know each other, I felt comfortable in your company. Before, I believed that chances of beating the Dark Lord were slim to none. But after we grew stronger and helped so many people, I started feeling more confident in myself. In us."

She looked up at him with a small smile. "I guess I want to see how far we can go together. I think we can win. I think _you_ can win. And I want to be there, by your side, to fight all the way with you."

Eric was smiling warmly. "Well...I think we can win too. I'm glad you stayed."

"Me too." She was smiling the same way. Then a knock at the door was heard. Eric got up and opened it a bit. Guillermo stood in the doorway.

"Oh. Sir Guillermo. What's up?"

"I came by to inform you that dinner is served. If you and your members are hungry, please come to the royal dining hall to help yourself."

Eric smiled a bit. "Yeah. Okay. We'll be right down."

Guillermo nodded and moved to Lilo and Scratch's room. Eric closed the door and turned to Melody.

"Who was that?"

"Guillermo. He said dinner's served."

"Oh great! I'm starved from all that fighting." Melody hopped out of bed, setting aside her hat and wand, and went to Eric's side.

"Me too. Let's go." The two exit and join Lilo and Scratch as they headed to the royal dining hall. The food variety and quantity were _massive_! All sorts of rich and rare food were laid out on the long royal table. The King was at the far end, already munching on a few royal roasts.

Scratch sampled himself to some hieroglyphic toast with syrup and melted butter. Lilo enjoyed some turkey curry. Eric had some deluxe fragrant tea with a hamburger. Finally, Melody greatly enjoyed a Golem steak with melted butter on top. Overall, everyone was enjoying a wonderful meal.

While Eric was sipping on his tea, King Tyler stopped munching on his royal roast and looked at Eric.

"Young lad, I must say this." Eric looked up from his tea to the king, giving him his full attention.

"That Dark Lord Bill Cipher is certainly no joke. We're in a lot of trouble with that scoundrel around. If you could, come tomorrow, warn the princess for me, I'd greatly appreciate it." He then continued munching on his roast.

Eric nodded. "Of course, your majesty."

Scratch now spoke up. "Hey. Where _is_ the princess?"

One of the support guards answered, "She grabbed a slice of geothermal pizza and went back to her quarters."

Lilo added, "Ooh, there's pizza?"

Satisfied with the answer, Scratch continued eating along with the rest. Once full, the team went back to their designated guest rooms and were in their beds to rest. It did not take them long to fall into a deep peaceful rest.

A figure then quietly opened the door to Eric and Melody's room and peeked in. It looked over to the bed Eric was resting in.

"...Maybe there is hope for our kingdom." The young feminine voice spoke softly as the figure then gently shut the door and allowed the heroes to rest.


	13. A Wild Besmirched Noble Boy Appears

Eric mumbled and opened his eyes when he felt someone lightly shaking his arm.

"Hey. Hey Eric. Up and at 'em leader." Eric rubbed his eyes and looked up at Melody. She was already up and dressed.

"Come on. Breakfast is ready and I don't want you to miss it." He sat up and yawned.

"Alright, alright. I'm up." After stretching, he climbed out of bed and tousled his hair, an attempt to make it look less like bedhead hair. Melody chuckled a tiny bit. Still looked a bit frizzy, but good enough.

The two exited their room and met up with Lilo and Scratch at the dining hall. Hieroglyphic toast, doggy and hobgob doughnuts, butterfly honey, fluffy omelettes, bone biscuits, and...baby food? While Scratch enjoyed the toast, Lilo seemed to enjoy the baby food the most.

When the rest of the team questioned her choice, she said, "Hey. It's actually pretty good and it comes with a cute little spoon." Melody tried a tiny spoonful and shrugged a bit.

"It's not bad actually." The rest of the team chuckled and continued eating. Eric enjoyed a couple bone biscuits and doggy doughnuts while Melody ate hobgob doughnuts. Difference between the two doughnuts was the hobgob ones were frosted, sprinkled, and sweet while the doggy ones were a bit plain, soft, and looked like a puppy, which Eric found cute.

Once done eating, King Tyler looked up to Eric from his royal roast, which he evidently enjoys the most, and said, "I'm glad you are all enjoying your stay. But now, you should warn Princess Rose of what is happening. I'll leave you to it." He then goes back to eating.

Eric nodded and motioned the team to follow him. Pointed in the right direction, they arrived at the princess's chambers. Eric knocked and a gentle female voice rang out.

"Come in."

Eric and the team entered. Melody and Lilo were a bit astonished to see the princess while Scratch's eyes lit up. The princess with long flowing blonde hair turned to the team members. Her eyes were a gentle shade of brown and she wore a bright pink gown with a bedazzled pink crown.

"You must be the heroes father told me were staying. It is good to meet you all. I am Princess Rose." She curtseyed to them with a warm smile.

Eric bowed to her. "Pleasure to meet you, your highness. I am Eric and these are my team members Melody, Lilo, and Scratch." He pointed to each one as he said their names.

Melody curtseyed as well while Lilo bowed. Melody had to elbow Scratch to bow as well. "Scratch. Show some respect," she spoke in a mildly harsh whisper.

"O-oh right. Sorry." He bows as well while Princess Rose giggled a bit.

"We came to make sure you were okay, your majesty. The Dark Lord Bill Cipher attacked Greenhorne and-"

Suddenly surprised, Princess Rose interrupted exclaiming, "The Dark Lord went to Greenhorne? What for? I-is Leonardo okay?!" Eric was a bit startled by her sudden outburst.

She recollected herself and continued, "Oh, I'm sorry...I'm just...worried about my friend in town. We used to be friends when we were little."

Lilo spoke up. "Do you want us to go check on him for you?"

Princess Rose looked at her as her eyes sparkled a bit. "Could you? I'd greatly appreciate it."

Eric nodded with a small smile. "Sure, we can do that."

"Thank you, thank you. Please tell him that Rose is worried about him."

Scratch saluted. "You can count on us, your sparklingness." He froze up. ' _Wait. Where'd that come from? ...Huh. Must be Robotnik's old obedience programming in me for authorities. ...But wasn't it for Robotnik alone_?'

Princess Rose giggled a bit and smiled to Scratch. "Thank you all. Safe travels." They all nodded and headed to Greenhorne village. With fewer monsters in the way, the journey was shorter than it was before.

However, they did run into one rare monster. A small sort of snurp that was shimmering with its gold fur.

"Aw. It's actually kinda cute." Lilo smiled a bit.

"This one looks rare. Let's get it!" Eric got into a battle stance and the team soon followed. The snurp only attacked by hopping up to one member and hitting them. Thankfully, it only tried once at Melody, but Eric warned her to dodge before she got hit.

After dodging, Melody used lightning. Lilo ran up and attacked the snurp. Scratch then looked to the members and cooked a spicy food dish. This time, he gave it to Lilo. After eating it, her cheeks went red and she did the same as Melody: screamed in pain while having flames shoot out of her mouth. That finished off the snurp.

Lilo gave a tiny glare to Scratch as she pulled out her own water bottle to cool her tongue. Scratch just gave a timid chuckle and shrugged.

"Well...least we got the monster."

Eric approached where it stood and checked for any dropped items. His eyes widened with what he found.

"Whoa." Melody looked over his shoulder. "No wonder that thing seemed rare."

That snurp dropped 500 G. Eric happily put it in his pocket and turned to the members. "Alright team. Let's keep going." They nodded, but as they were about to follow, they heard another voice.

"RUI-LIIIIIN! WHERE ARE YOUUUU?!"

The team froze up, startled by the loud voice but now in thought.

"What was that?" Lilo looked around.

"Rui-Lin. Was that Sara calling for him," Melody asked, looking to Eric.

"No, that voice is male...but if he's calling out to Rui-Lin, he may be in trouble. Come on!" He took off in direction of the voice and the team quickly followed, weapons ready for any monster.

* * *

"Ohh man...w-well, here goes." The stranger took a deep breath. "RUI-LIIIIIN! WHERE ARE YOUUUU?!"

The stranger had brown short shaggy hair, a blue mask, blue eyes, and wore rags that were a bit more formal than others. A white ascot, long-sleeved white shirt, brown bands around his calves, dark blue jeans, and a green vest.

"No! Stay away!"

"That voice!" The stranger followed the direction of Rui-Lin's voice and skidded to a stop when he spotted him. Rui-Lin was surrounded by 3 Goblins and trembling.

"S-somebody help me!"

"I-I've got to do something!" Despite trembling a bit in his brown boots, the stranger stood his ground close to the monsters. Swallowing a lump in his throat, he shouted, "Y-you...you monsters get away from him!"

However, it has been a long time since he fought anything. Needless to say, he was out of practice. He waddled up to the Goblins with his fists in the air. The Goblins looked at him and snickered. Then, they all ambushed him at once. They punched his back, knocked him off his feet, and had him fall on his head.

The stranger laid in the grass, dazed and close to passing out. The Goblins chuckled and turned back their attention to Rui-Lin.

Just as they were about to pounce, a battle cry was heard. Lilo jumped in and slashed one of the Goblins. It screeched in pain and the rest turned to her as the rest of the team arrived. Melody was the first to notice the knocked-down stranger.

"Hey, Eric! We got a man down!" Eric approached the stranger and knelt down in front of him. "Are you alright, sir?"

The man weakly pointed to Rui-Lin. "Th-there's...nothing I can do...p-please...save the boy." Eric nodded and looked to Melody.

"Mel. Get this man and Rui-Lin out of the battle zone. Lilo, Scratch and I will handle the Goblins."

"Gotcha, leader." She quickly ran over to get Rui-Lin. After grabbing his hand, she got him away from the Goblins. Next, she stopped and picked up the stranger, carrying him bridal style. The three then were out of battle range.

Meanwhile, compared to the monsters the team faced before, those 3 Goblins were no challenge. A few simple attacks took them all down. They even gained three trays of Goblin Ham, but one that was a rare dish. It looked appetizing.

Once the battle was done, Melody walked back to the team with the two boys. She was still carrying the stranger and Rui-Lin was crying a bit. He cried out for his mom and ran back to the village.

Helping him to his feet, Melody asked the stranger, "Now what were you thinking running into battle like that? Those monsters are dangerous."

The stranger wobbled a bit and used Melody for support. "S-sorry...but I had to do something to help Rui-Lin. I told Sara I'd find him. But...thank you so much for your help." He showed a tiny grateful smile.

Melody let out a tiny sigh but showed a small smile back. "Just be careful with what you're up against next time."

Scratch interjected, "Who are you anyway?"

"Oh. Right. My name is Leonardo."

The team's eyes widened upon hearing that name. This is the friend of the princess?

"So you're…" Eric then spoke to him. "Princess Rose is worried about you."

Now it was Leonardo's turn to have his eyes widen a bit. "The princess...is worried about me?" He had a small blush and a warm smile on his face. But he then snapped out of his love daze and finally stood up straight, able to support himself.

"Hold on. Focus. What in the world were those monsters?"

"You don't know," Melody asked him. "He must've not been there when the Dark Lord attacked the last couple times."

In response to her question, Leonardo shook his head no. Eric brought him up to speed by explaining where those monsters came from, why they were so violent, what happened to the innocent Miis, and about the Dark Lord.

"I turned my back and all this happened. And the way you handled those monsters...that was incredible! ...I was as useful as a chocolate teapot."

Lilo whispered to Melody, "A chocolate teapot?"

Melody only shrugged in response.

"I-I think I'll be leaving now." He then ran off...but it was more of a waddle since his back was still sore.

Scratch was trying not to chuckle at how ridiculous he looked. Eric and Melody just watched him with blank expressions. Lilo looked to the team and asked, "So...are we sure this guy is the friend of the princess herself?"

"Well, I don't know any other Leonardos. We'll just have to assume." Eric had his arms crossed. "Let's head back to the castle and let Princess Rose know." The team nodded and headed to the castle.


	14. An Arid Area

"So Leonardo is safe…that is a relief!"

Princess Rose smiled with relief after Eric told her all that happened back in Greenhorne, leaving out the part where Leonardo got his butt kicked by a few goblins.

"Please. Accept this reward." She handed Eric a bag filled with 1000 G. The team smiled as Eric thanked her. With all this gold, they should go on a shopping spree.

"Now, now Rose." King Tyler poked his head in, surprising everyone else in the room.

The king continued in a serious tone. "You must forget that Leonardo chap. You are betrothed to Prince Ryuji after all. Is that clear?" He chomped on his royal roast and left the room.

"B-but father…" Her quiet voice did not reach him. She sighed and looked down.

"Are...you okay, your highness?" Princess Rose looked up at Eric, quickly rubbing one of her eyes with her gloved hand.

"I'm sorry. I'll be fine. But please...just...leave me be to my thoughts." The team all looked at each other with slightly sad expressions but complied. Eric exited first, with the rest following behind.

Melody was the first to break the silence. "I've seen this before. Love triangles."

Lilo looked up at her. "Do they ever get resolved?"

"Some do, some don't. I do know that they can get ugly."

"Excuse me." The team stopped conversing and looked at Guillermo. He saluted and stated, "The king would like to see you all in the throne room."

The members looked at each other, then nodded. Eric looked at Guillermo. "We'll be right there." Guillermo nodded and marched off back to his post. The team then headed to the throne room.

Soon as they entered, King Tyler motioned them forward. "Eric and his team. The princess's fiancé should be on his way here. And, since you are here, I ask of you to please see to it that he makes it to the castle safely. With monsters and Dark Lord Bill Cipher running amok, it is important for the kingdom to have the prince arrive unscathed."

"We'll get right on it, your majesty." The rest of the team members nodded in agreement to Eric's statement.

King Tyler smiled. "Much obliged. The princess's fiancé is from yonder kingdom. He should be waiting at the Arid Frontier. I wish you four luck." He then continued munching on another royal roast.

Lilo's eyes widened. "Arid Frontier...that's right next to Neksdor kingdom! Maybe we'll find Stitch there." She seemed eager.

"Then what are we doing standing around? Let's go." Melody smiled as both Lilo and her headed out to the front gate.

"Aw, but what about lunch," asked Scratch, looking at Eric with a pout. Eric rolled his eyes with a tiny smile and handed him a piece of goblin ham.

"We'll eat while we travel." He then quickly followed the girls.

Scratch grumbled a bit and took bites of the goblin ham, trailing behind.

It did not take too long to navigate through the Wayward Woods since the path was slightly familiar. Soon as they arrived at Arid Frontier, they were already a bit exhausted. The air was dry, the land was rocky, and it was hotter than it was in Greenhorne. It was practically a desert out here.

Melody had her hat off, using it as a sort of fan, quietly wishing she knew a spell to cast small gusts of wind. Scratch just kept wiping the sweat away...which leaves the others to question how he can sweat if he's a robot. They decided to keep the question to themselves though. Finally, Eric and Lilo were struggling the most with slightly heavy metal armor weighing them down and making them sweat.

"So. Princess Rose's friend…" Melody goes to Lilo's side to strike up a conversation and try to help get their mind off the heat.

"Yeah. Leonardo kinda seems…"

"Unreliable," Scratch intervened, asking.

"That's a bit harsh. I was going to say 'odd,'" Melody replied.

"Well, I bet he's a good person. After all, he did try to save Rui-Lin...even though his attempts were of no avail." Eric joined in on the conversation.

"That is true. Takes a brave Mii to step up to some monsters without any weapon or armor." Melody smiled a bit.

"Anyways, keep your eyes open for Prince Ryuji. Hopefully, he shouldn't be far." The team nodded to Eric's order and kept an eye out.

Of course, the journey was not going to be easy just because of the heat. Monsters were attacking them every now and then as well. Nose Rocks, Apple Jelly, and worst of all, Moles. The Nose Rocks were not too bad as they just rolled into them, causing a little bit of damage. The Apple Jelly monsters were pretty easy to handle. The only problem with them was the quantity of Apple Jellies there were. The Moles were the toughest. Their dodges, smirks, and sass just made the battle more frustrating than it should be.

The team managed to pull through together though. However, the frustration rubbed off between Melody and Scratch. Hot, tired, and still a bit steamed from the Moles, Melody accidentally bumped into Scratch.

"Hey! Watch it!"

"No, _you_ watch it. You were clearly in the way."

The two glared at each other. Spotting this, Eric quickly goes over to them, putting one hand on their backs.

"Now you guys. I know you're hot and tired, but that doesn't mean we should take it out on each other, okay?"

The two looked at Eric, then each other.

"...I'm sorry, Scratch."

"Yeah...me too." The two smiled at each other, happy to move past a possible conflict. Eric smiled as well, glad that was resolved.

The team continued their journey, but Lilo was starting to slow until she dropped to her knees, panting. The other members turned back and looked at her.

"You alright, Lilo?" Eric was the first one at her side.

"Y-yeah, it's just...the heat is intense and...this mountain climbing is no joke. I can barely feel my legs."

Scratch went to her side next. "You need me to give you a piggyback again?"

"...I'd...really appreciate that, actually." Lilo smiled a bit to Scratch as he picked her up and placed her on his shoulders. She took this opportunity to take off her helmet and hold it to her side, exhaling as the seemingly cool air hit her head. She exhaled with satisfaction.

"Great. Let's keep moving." Melody noticed Eric's voice was getting a bit hoarse. She has seen this sort of symptom before. It meant he was becoming dehydrated. She dug through her pockets and pulled out a water bottle. It was not as cold as it was earlier, but still refreshing enough.

"Hey, Eric." He looked at her as she tossed him the bottle. He quickly caught it and smiled.

"Thanks, Mel."

She nodded in a way of saying "you're welcome." While Eric was drinking, the team continued forward. More monsters came, but they seemed to handle them decently well. There were fewer moles, so that also helped.

Melody learned a new spell after fighting off a couple stormy cumuluses and a nose rock. "Explosion." Her eyes widen a bit at the name of it and she decided to test it out. When Apple Jelly monsters attacked in a group of five, Melody readied her wand as a darker fire ring formed around her.

"Explosion!" With a good flick of her wand, there was a small fiery explosion that hit all the Apple Jelly slimes and immediately finished them off. Melody's eyes sparkled. This spell was going to come in handy. The rest of the team was a bit surprised but were happy for her.

"I think I'm well on my way to becoming a great mage!" Excited and with new energy, Melody started running ahead. "Come on guys! I can do this for days! Woo!"

Eric chuckled and quietly followed. Scratch lightly shook his head with a small smile and continued carrying Lilo as he followed Eric.

The sun started to set, however. The team was growing exhausted. It has been a long day, fighting monsters and helping others. Eric then luckily spotted a nearby inn and motioned the team to follow.

Once inside, everyone removed their equipment and resided in their designated rooms. Eric was with Scratch while Lilo was with Melody. Eric took the time to go on a small shopping spree for new equipment. He bought Melody a Suit Robe, since the clown and polka-dot one looked a bit ridiculous, that had a purple sash and a Star Wand. For Scratch was a red Chinese Uniform and a Wok. Finally, for Lilo and Eric, Adventure Armor with different colored capes to differentiate and Steel Swords. Luckily, he had just enough for them all.

Everyone appreciated the gifts. Scratch questioned his uniform, but Eric told him it was either the Chinese Uniform or a uniform made of newspaper. Scratch took note to not take his new uniform for granted. Lilo was a bit excited that she and Eric now matched. He told her she was coming off as a great warrior. Her reply gave him a warm feeling.

"I learned from the best."

Laying down in bed, Scratch questioned Eric, "Do you think Prince Ryuji will be fine if we don't reach him tonight?"

"Yeah...I bet he's got bodyguards or something while he stays at the inn, getting the royal treatment. We'll get him tomorrow."

Scratch nodded and the two fell asleep easily as the moon shone over the dry desert area.

.

.

.

Sorry if this took long. Lots going on at the moment. Also, Spring break is coming up but there will be plans that may intervene, so don't expect a lot of updates for the time being. 'xD Also, in case you have read the previous chapter before I made adjustments, you're probably asking, 'Imagi. Wasn't the Besmirched Noble Boy's name Nathan? Why is now Leonardo? Well, thing is, I based Rose off a friend of mine. Back then, she and "Nathan" were a thing. But recent events have shown that he was not the match made in heaven. I can't see them getting shipped in the fic if it's going to happen in reality. So yeah. I changed it to someone worthy of Princess Rose's love: Leonardo from TMNT...only human version for ship sake. Try not to judge harshly on that, but I just want Rose to be happy with her truly loved one. xD Anyway, be sure to check back for more updates. And be sure to treat yourself well, especially on rough days. ;)


	15. Love Triangle

"Grrrrr, keeping me waiting…"

A man with royal gold clothing, blond shaggy hair and blue eyes stood outside another inn, tapping his foot impatiently. It has not been a good day for this prince. First, he is asked to leave his kingdom of Neksdor instead of having the princess of Greenhorne come to his. Next, his servants were left behind since they could not fight off a simple monster. The prince assumed they left him to fend for himself, however. And they call whatever slop they served in that Inn "food"? Not fit for a prince such as he. Goblin ham and hieroglyphic toast. He demanded a very rare dish of slime jelly, their finest fragrant tea, and omelettes served with orange slices and ketchup.

"Huh?" He then spotted his "escorts" coming up to the inn. They were conversing with each other after a nice breakfast. Hieroglyphic toast with the rare butterfly honey they were saving. The prince grew steamed as they spotted him and approached.

Melody spoke up first. "You must be Prince Ryuji. Glad to-"

"You imbeciles!" Melody jumped a bit mid-curtsey. Lilo and Scratch were a bit surprised. Eric was _not_ happy with the insult.

"Take me to the princess this instant! And don't dawdle like I'm sure you were doing when it took you _forever_ to find me!"

Eric looked mad. Nobody was allowed to disrespect him back where he lived. He stepped forward, but after Melody saw slight malicious intent, she put a hand on his chest and lightly shook her head no. They were under the king's orders to bring Prince Ryuji to Greenhorne _unharmed_. That is going to include themselves.

Eric sighed and forced a tiny smile. "Alright. Right this way, _your highness_." He grit his teeth on the last statement. Prince Ryuji did not notice as he huffed and brushed past Eric, walking forward. Eric took a small deep breath and quietly followed to lead.

Meanwhile, Melody, Scratch, and Lilo trailed behind and whispered to each other.

"This joker is going to be the sweet Princess Rose's husband," Scratch asked.

Melody replied, "I kinda actually feel sorry for her."

Lilo added, "I knew we had a prince, but I never thought he was this…"

"Rude?"

"That's putting it lightly, Melody," Scratch rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but if I try anything else, I would probably be executed if he overheard."

Luckily, Prince Ryuji was too busy telling tall tales to Eric as he explained why he was out there alone. Eric just kept quiet, no longer keeping the smile, and focused on finding the quickest path to the castle of Greenhorne.

"Why was I out here alone, you may ask? Simple. I was attacked by a monster. I made a valiant attempt in vanquishing the brute, but my pathetic servants couldn't handle it. Ugh. They left me no choice, but to flee from battle. Good for noth-"

Eric then stopped him, hearing something while looking around. Prince Ryuji smacked his hand away.

"How dare you t-"

"SHH. I hear something," Eric whispered. The team was quiet as well. Then they all heard it. Faint squawking.

"You cannot tell me to "shh"! I am Prince Ryuji! I can talk whenever I please!" The squawking got louder and then a loud thud was heard behind them all. They all turned around and found a giant Griffin. It opened its wings, which had 3 Mii eyes on each wing, and squawked violently.

Melody facepalmed and looked to Prince Ryuji, who was now trembling in fear. " _This_ was why we told you to be quiet." She quickly pulled out her wand as the team proceeded to pull out their weapons and get into a battle stance as well.

Melody quickly used fire as Lilo and Eric jump slashed it. Scratch almost wanted to give Prince Ryuji his spicy food dish to help attack it, but Melody shook her head at him. So instead, he used his flambé move. When the Griffin attacked, it ran up to one of them and smacked them hard with its wings. Thankfully, the damage was about as bad as a nose rocks, which they pulled through just fine.

Prince Ryuji huffed. "Looks like I have to step in." The team looked at him for a solid 10 seconds. He just...stood there, watching them.

"What are you all looking at me for? Fight!"

Exasperated expressions showed from all of them. Yeah, he was not really going to help at all. Rolling their eyes, they continued fighting. To preserve their energy, they all mostly did upfront attacks. Their bonds aided in their fight as well. Whether showing off, warned to dodge, or lending a hand, it helped with their chance of winning.

Soon, they were victorious as Eric, Melody and Lilo all struck the Griffin together, using a new move called the "Pincer." They all smiled and high-fived, proud of beating a new strong monster. They also got a new dish: roast griffin.

After pocketing their earnings, Prince Ryuji pushed past Melody and Lilo as he stood with pride. He then proclaimed, "The victory was hard fought, but my expert swordsmanship pulled us through."

Melody, Lilo, and Scratch all fell over in exasperation, much like in an anime. Eric's tolerance was running really thin now. He was like a skinny rubber band that was about to snap.

"Oh! I spy the castle up ahead!" Prince Ryuji looked at Melody, Lilo, and Scratch. "What are you lazy so-called heroes doing laying on the ground? Get up and continue escorting!" He then headed to the forest. "Princess Rose~! Your beloved Prince Ryuji will soon be by your radiant side!"

The three members stood back up and Scratch looked to the girls. "We could leave him to get lost in the Wayward Woods and tell the king we couldn't find him. Leave the prince for the monsters."

"No. As much as he is annoying...and prideful...and narcissistic...and a terrible match for Rose, we can't leave him to die." Melody goes up to Scratch. "Besides, if we leave him, what if by some chance he makes it to the castle after all? Then after he tattles on the king?"

Scratch then imagined the team lined up behind a guillotine. Scratch's head was through the hole and the axe comes down. After that image, he gulped nervously and began to sweat a bit. "P-point taken…"

Melody then walked up to Eric and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, leader. I'm sure karma is going to kick in at some point for Princess Rose's so-called future husband." With a small smile, she headed forward to find Prince Ryuji.

Eric calmed down a bit and the rest of the team followed.

* * *

"So, where is the prince?"

"Currently at the banquet to grab some snacks and going to see Princess Rose as we speak, your majesty." Melody did a small curtsey as the team stood in the throne room. They all, including Prince Ryuji, made it back through the Wayward Woods safely after clearing out the monsters before to find King Tyler's face. It kind of left disapproval to Scratch and Eric because they wanted a monster to appear and see if Prince Ryuji and his so-called "swordsmanship" would save them all. Melody kept them all level-headed though and from doing any regretful actions.

"Ah. So you all have returned safely. Splendid work, young heroes. Please, accept this reward." He granted them 800 G. Not as much as first reward from him, but they won't complain at all. After they were given the gold, King Tyler continued to munch on his royal roast.

Lilo then looked at the team and King Tyler. "If his majesty wouldn't mind, may I relax in one of the guest rooms?"

"Of course. You all are always welcome here."

Smiling a bit, Lilo walked out of the throne room to one of the guest rooms. Scratch then spoke up. "Then if anyone needs me, I'll be at the banquet enjoying a well-deserved lunch." Before anyone could protest, he was already out of the throne room, heading to the banquet.

"I'll go make sure Prince Ryuji doesn't try anything stupid to sweet Princess Rose." With a tiny smile or smirk, Melody headed out to the princess's chambers.

Eric decided to go to one of the guest rooms as well. Maybe hit the banquet after setting down his equipment. But as he passed one of the guest room doors, he stopped. It was slightly open and he peeked in. Lilo was leaning against the window sill, helmet off and sword put away. She seemed...sad.

Eric knocked, causing Lilo to jump a bit and rub her eyes, supposedly to hide her tears. "C-come in."

Eric entered. "Hey. You doing alright?"

"...Yeah, totally." She faked a small smile. Eric could tell it was fake. He's done it to himself before and he hated it when others tried to do the same. He sighed and set his sword and helmet on one of the beds. He then knelt down to Lilo's level.

"Lilo...be truthful to me."

Her smile vanished as she looked down. She was gently hugging her arms and doing her best to not show any tears.

"...It's about Stitch, isn't it?"

Lilo looked up at him...then nodded with a sniffle. "I thought...I thought for sure he would be out there. If...i-if he's not there…what if he's…"

She couldn't hold the tears anymore. Eric gently gave her a hug. "He's not, Lilo. By how you've told me about him, he's too tough to be taken down that easy. And maybe he just wasn't in the area we were in. Maybe he was still more in Neksdor kingdom region and not the borderline. I promised you we'd find him, and that's not stopping me now. We _will_ find him. I'll make sure of it."

Lilo sniffled and nodded, hugging Eric firmly. "R...right. Thanks, Eric…" Her voice cracked a bit in the middle of the statement. Eric rubbed her back in comfort, then loosened his hold, looking at her as she wiped her tears away.

"You wanna go get some baby food and butterfly honey?"

She gave a tiny nod, showing a genuine small smile this time. ' _That's better_.' Eric smiled as well as he tousled her hair and stood back up. Lilo held his hand and the two walked to the banquet to join Scratch.

* * *

Princess Rose was sitting on her bed, quietly reading a book until she heard a knock at the door. "Come in."

The door opened and her eyes widened with shock. "L...Leonardo?" She seemed really happy to see him. Leonardo smiled and fully entered, going up to Princess Rose as she climbed out of her bed.

"Heheh. I managed to sneak in here. Those guards didn't suspect a thing."

Princess Rose giggled. He was well-known to her for being a clever man when needed. The two smiled, very happy to finally see each other after a long time.

"Princess Rose~!" Prince Ryuji then ran in, wiping the roast griffin crumbs off his cheeks. "It is I, your beloved Prince Ryuji-!" He froze. ' _Princess Rose...with another man?! A peasant no less! That tramp! No, no...she is not to blame. That peasant is!_ '

Princess Rose and Leonardo, both startled, looked at Prince Ryuji. Prince Ryuji finally managed to find his voice in his shock and say, "You...you DOG!" He ran over and violently shoved Leonardo away from Princess Rose, causing her to yelp in surprise from the sudden act of violence.

"What are you doing with Princess Rose?!"

Leonardo sits up from being shoved down and glared a bit at this show-off prince. "And who are _you_ supposed to be?"

"Oh. Nobody special. Only the princess's FIANCÉ!"

Leonardo's eyes widened as he looked at Princess Rose. She appeared distressed.

"I would have told you Leo...b-but I never really wanted this. I have no choice." She was on the verge of tears. Leonardo can sincerely see the pain in her eyes. She doesn't love Prince Ryuji. No way is she going to be with some spoiled brat for the rest of her life.

"Princess Rose can't marry a dork like you! I won't allow it!" He stood back up, glaring hard at the prince.

"Oh yeah? Look me in the eyes and say that!" The two growled and glared hard. The fire of their anger between each other seemed to burn.

"Please stop! Stop it you two!" Princess Rose tried to be in between the boys, not wishing for any conflict, especially over her.

King Tyler's support guards carried the king in as he looked around with wide eyes. "What on Miitopia is all this commotion?!"

Melody was watching all this outside the door with wide eyes. ' _Holy candlesticks. I knew love triangles could get ugly, but those two are going to murder each other if they don't calm down! I gotta get Eric._ " She dashed to the banquet as quick as she could.

* * *

The team found Princess Rose trying to break the two apart and telling them to stop as the two boys practically fought each other. They would smack each other a few times, then shout insults. This was getting ugly and it was escalating with each minute.

King Tyler, sweating nervously with given circumstances, turned to the heroes. "Those three are in a state. Maybe some calming fruit would help…"

"Calming fruit?" Eric was the first to question this.

"Guillermo! Quick! Head down to the banquet and find the calming fruit!" Guillermo saluted and took off. King Tyler then turned to Eric. "To answer your question, the calming fruit is a rare fruit found in the Wayward Woods. Anyone that takes a bite out of it immediately calms down. Sad, angry, or even overwhelmingly happy? The calming fruit will ease your nerves. It helps with me sometimes when running a kingdom."

Guillermo returned. "I-I'm sorry, your majesty. We are out of stock." King Tyler's eyes widened. This was bad.

Eric knew what to do though. "We can find the fruit for you. Wayward Woods, right?" Being they have already cleared out most of the monsters there, it should not be difficult to find it.

King Tyler looked to the team and smiled with relief. "That would actually help immensely. I'll give you something first, however. You may need it just in case your equipment needs improvement." He handed Eric 500 gold. Eric thanked him and the team made their way to the woods.

"Calming fruit. Almost sounds made up," Scratch said.

"Yeah, but it's probably the best chance we have of keeping those two from strangling each other. ...Not sure who would win though," Eric added.

"My gold's on Leonardo. Least he actually 'fights.'" The team chuckled to Melody's statement as they ventured into the Wayward Woods.


	16. Fears Become Reality

"You know. It's weird." Melody pushes a few branches out of the way as they venture on a new path in Wayward Woods.

"What is?" Eric trailed behind, using his sword to help clear the path a bit.

"We've been doing these small tasks for what feels like a while now...and the Dark Lord hasn't shown since we rescued King Tyler's face."

"Maybe he gave up," Scratch asked.

"Wishful thinking, Scratch...but no. If I could guess what the fiend is thinking...it's that he is planning something."

"We'll just have to be on guard then." Eric stepped past Melody, finally clearing the path completely.

"What a fight though," Lilo spoke up next.

Scratch added, "Yeah. Leonardo really went all out."

"I still say that if Prince Ryuji is Princess Rose's betrothed…"

"I feel bad for her."

Eric then stopped, causing Melody to lightly bump into him. "Hold up. What's that?" In front of them was a sort of large flower bud.

Melody leaned forward a bit, looking past Eric. "Looks kinda like a weird venus fly trap. See the teeth?" She points out the jagged teeth sticking out from the petals.

"I don't like the look of it…"

"It's pretty small, leader. It's not like it's going to eat us." Just as Melody turned to him and reassured, a tiny flash was seen behind her. Roots were heard stretching underneath the ground as the plant grew twice the team's size.

Once Melody turned around, she yelped and jumped back. The plant monster, which is really called a Mars Mii Trap, hissed at them. As the team got into a battle stance, a dark cackle was heard above them.

"Hope you don't mind. I'm just doing a little gardening~."

Dark Lord Bill Cipher hovered down into view, just above the plant monster. His unforgettable sick grin showed as he stared down at the team.

' _I had to open my big mouth_.' Melody mentally facepalmed for deciding to bring up the great dark being.

"Dark Lord Bill Cipher!" Eric got into a more serious battle stance as he stared right up at him.

"You little twerps are really starting to annoy me. It is kinda fun watching you all run around, being the fat king's little servant boys and girls, though. That little piece of fruit won't stop what I have planned for you all."

"Like heck we can't, you...brooding spike-headed wanna-be demon," Melody attempted to insult. Dark Lord Bill's grin faded as his expression showed unamusement.

"Yeah sure. But anyway, have fun with my little monster. And, by the way... **don't forget to feed it**." He said the last statement darkly as his sick grin returned. With a long cackle, he disappeared.

The team returned to their battle stances as they prepared themselves. Melody managed to get the first hit in, hitting it with a fire spell. The Mars Mii Trap then looked directly at Lilo. She braced herself for the hit, but the monster did not attack. Instead, it opened its jaws, having a large tongue fly out and grab Lilo.

The other members stumbled back in shock. Lilo screamed as she was pulled right into the monster's petal jaws. The jaws shut, keeping her inside the monster's supposed mouth. Scratch screamed in shock as Eric gasped and Melody went pale. It really was like a venus fly trap...only for Miis!

Inside, Lilo tried to break free, while screaming for help. She could not pull out her sword due to the tight space, but she did try kicking and punching.

To Eric, a sort of instinct kicked in. A protective instinct. He gripped his sword tight and shouted, "Give her back!" He then did one of his strongest jump slashes yet. Stunned, the monster then spat out Lilo, having her somersault right into Scratch. The monster then disappeared, releasing the Mii's pair of eyes.

Eric huffed. That strength...it kind of surprised himself that he was able to finish a new monster in one blow. But he focused on the matter at hand. He looked to Lilo and knelt down, helping her off Scratch.

"Ewwww! You're all covered in slime!" That was true. Lilo had some sort of green spit covering her. That was most likely the plant monster's saliva. After rolling into Scratch, he got a bit on himself. He was trying to wipe it away as best as he could.

"Are you alright," Eric asked, worrying they were actually digestive acids. Lilo was trembling, but she gave a nod. None of her health dropped and the spit did not seem to burn her or Scratch, so that was reassuring. Despite not being hurt, however, she looked terrified with what just happened. Of all ways to go, that would have been the worst.

Eric took off his cape and started cleaning her off. Once he got most of the spit off, he then hugged her. He could practically feel her shake like a leaf. She hugged back, doing her best not to break down and cry.

"I-I...I thought I was…"

"I know...it's okay. We wouldn't let that happen you."

Meanwhile, Melody was still a bit pale and slightly trembling herself. She has had nightmares about this sort of thing before. Being eaten alive...one of the last things she would ever want to happen to her. She never thought the monsters they would face would involve that. Now that they know there are? She was terrified.

"Melody?" She snapped out of her petrified state and looked at the team. They all looked at her, with mildly concerned expressions. Eric looked the most concerned. "You alright?"

Melody was silent for a moment. She then tried to reassure them with a tiny smile as she said, "Y-yeah...was just...scared for Lilo."

"We all were...but don't worry. We'll be more on guard now for those monsters."

"...Right."

"You good to keep moving forward, Lilo?" Lilo rubbed her eyes and gave a small nod, her trembling dying down.

"Good. That's very brave of you, Lilo. Makes you a great warrior." Eric smiled down at her, earning a smile back from her. Back on their feet, the team progressed forward, Melody kind of trailing behind.

Next battles were not all that easy. More Mars Mii Traps were showing up. One was accompanied by moles and it ate Eric next. He yelped but made sure not to panic. He tried to fight his way out, but just like Lilo, there was no avail. Melody was uneasy, but she gave strong attacks with the team for Eric. After an explosion spell and a slash from Lilo's sword on the Mii trap monster, the moles were gone and the plant monster spat Eric out. He groaned in mild disgust and started shaking off the slime.

Next Mii Trap attacked Scratch. He screamed and fought of course, but was able to use his frying pan a bit. The team, of course, helped him out and he shook off the slime, ready to keep going. With each battle, Eric noticed Melody getting more and more anxious.

' _I'm next...those things ate everyone else. I've gotta be next_.' Her face went pale as they went into another battle with another Mars Mii Trap. Eric looked at her as Scratch whacked the plant with his frying pan.

"You okay, Mel?"

"Y-yeah...totally." Melody tried to hide her fear. What would he say if he knew she was terrified of this? ' _What if he thinks I'm pathetic? What if he thinks I'm just a big scaredy-cat? I saved him before from the last monsters. I can't show I'm afraid of something as simple as a plant-_ '

She snapped out of her thoughts when she felt the Mars Mii Trap's tongue stick to her. As it pulled her into its jaws, Melody screamed like she never has before. She tried fighting, but it was too sticky. She was like a fly caught in a spider's web. Or in a more related case, a fly caught in a venus fly trap.

Once its jaws shut, she immediately went into a panic attack. She started hyperventilating, kicking as best as she could. She couldn't even tell herself to try a spell to help. She could wave her wand and do one, but she was too focused on fighting for her life to try.

Eric was the first to attack. No way was this Mars Mii trap going to kill her this way. He looked to Lilo, who nodded. The two came together and did a jump slash together. That finished off the monster and it spat out Melody. The moment it did, Melody scrambled back, getting far from it as possible despite it being defeated. Her whole body was trembling, her face was pale, and her breathing was still rapid.

Scratch and Lilo went up to her, asking if she was okay. They got no response as Melody continued hyperventilating, seemingly caught in a paralyzed terror state. Eric jumped in and lightly shook her shoulders.

"Melody! Melody! You're out, it's okay!"

Melody snapped out of it and looked right up at Eric. It was like she was caught in a terror dream and finally woke up.

"E...E-Eric…?" Tears started to show in her eyes.

"You're okay, Mel. Don't worry." With her trembling hands, still covered in slime, she gently touched Eric's cheek to see if this was true. After that, all her terror emotions started to fade...and she began to sob.

Despite her being covered in the monster's saliva, Eric hugged Melody close, rubbing her back. She hugged back, burying her face in his shoulder, still sobbing.

' _I've...never seen her this scared before. Normally against any monster, including Bill Cipher, she stands her ground and fights. ...Could it be…_ ' Eric looked at where the monster attacked and got a small idea of what could be the reason for this panic attack.

" _...I'll have to ask later. For now, we gotta get that fruit and get out of the woods_.' He carefully helped her stand as her sobs were reduced to small hiccups. Lilo held one of her hands while Scratch lightly rubbed her back, trying not to be mildly disgusted by the slime.

"I...I-I'm sorry...this is pathetic…"

"No. No, it isn't…" Eric continued rubbing her back. He then stopped hugging her enough to see her face. The tears kind of cleaned away a bit of the slime.

"You going to be okay?" She gave a tiny nod, refusing to look up at him as she was looking down in shame. Eric gently tilted her chin up to him.

"Are you _sure_?" ...Melody was hesitant to answer now. Eric focused on his thoughts for a moment, then he continued as he kept his hands on her shoulders.

"How about this? If we face another Mii Trap, you can stay in the Safe Spot so it won't get you. Will you be okay fighting other monsters?"

She gave him a small nod and seemed to relax from the idea. "Good." Eric gently rubbed her head and helped clean off most of the slime. "Let's move ahead then. The calming fruit has got to be close now."

The team continued forward, with Melody sticking close to Eric and still keeping her head down. ' _I can't believe he saw me like that. I shouldn't have panicked like that or…_ ' She mentally sighed. ' _Why did I have to have this fear?_ '

Just as Eric told her to, she stayed in the Safe Spot whenever a Mars Mii Trap appeared but still fought with them against every other monster. Nose rocks, poison moths, and moles. No matter what monster came, it was only the Mars Mii Traps that left her uneasy.

Just as the sun was starting to set a bit, Eric dug through a few bushes as the team took a break from all the fighting and walking. Surprisingly, it was pretty quiet between them all. After Melody's panic attack, there was tension and silence, which made Melody feel worse.

"Aha! I think I found it!" The three members looked up to Eric as he held up a...very tiny piece of blue fruit.

"Kinda...small. You sure that's going to help," Scratch questioned.

"It's the only fruit I know that isn't...well...one I recognize. It's gotta be it." Eric looked up at the sky. "We should find an inn though anyways. It's getting late. If it's not it, we'll venture back out and look again." The team nodded to the plan and silently left the woods to find an inn.

* * *

Once at the Inn, everyone got showers. No one enjoyed the idea of smelling like plant saliva and feeling a bit sticky.

Afterward, Melody was already quietly laying down, facing the wall, on her bed. Her wand and mage outfit were set to the side. She also barely ate dinner, but she at least had one slice of goblin ham. Eric was her roommate tonight and he quietly looked at her with mild concern. It is not like her to be...so isolated.

"...Hey Mel?"

"...Yeah?"

"...You feeling okay?"

"I'm fine." She said that statement a bit harshly as if she did not want to talk about it.

With a sigh, Eric sat at her bedside. Her back remained facing him. "If you don't want to talk, you don't have to. ...But just know...we're a team now. We have to be there for each other. ...And it worries me seeing you like this."

Melody was silent. Assuming she fell asleep, Eric got up, sighing, and walked to his bed. But before he took his first step, he heard her voice.

"If...I tell you why I freaked out...do you promise not to laugh or...say how pathetic it is?"

Eric turned to her. "I promise." His voice sounded sincere. He already had a small idea, but hearing it from her would help confirm it.

Melody sighed and sat up, blanket wrapped around her. "I...have a fear of being eaten alive. It's dumb, I know, but...it kind of started when I was a kid. Before the monsters became...real monsters, I thought there were scarier monsters. You know...the ones that are under the bed or in the closet? I've...had a nightmare or two when I was little about those monsters. They would catch me and eat me...and the thought terrifies me. Not just being...chewed up but...just...e-eaten whole. The process alone can be terrifying as you're...trapped in such a confined space, surrounded by acids that slowly burn your skin."

She was slightly trembling now. "When that Mii Trap got me...it was like reliving my younger self's nightmare." She gently gripped the blanket and wrapped it a bit tighter around her. "But...now that you and the team members know, you all must think I'm such a coward or-..."

She stopped when Eric sat down in front of her and hugged her. She quietly hugged back, keeping her face buried in his shirt.

"No...you have every right to be afraid. It is pretty terrifying. ...If anyone's fear is pathetic, it's mine."

"...What..is yours?"

"...Shadows."

"Shadows?" Melody now looked up. "You mean the shade that comes off when the sun hits an object?"

"I kind of saw them as monsters myself. From...where I lived, I learned about these monsters that are shadows...but much more dangerous. They didn't exist there if that's what you think. But they still sounded scary."

"But...after our superhero power discussion that one night...I thought you said you wanted shadows as a sort of power. How could you want that if...you're afraid of them?"

"I want that power so I can stop being afraid of them. If I controlled the shadows...what's there to fear if they follow what I say?" He smiled a bit. Melody's expression now showed understanding. But then she looked back down.

"Can't exactly do that for me then. Unless I want to jump into a monster's mouth and die."

Eric almost chuckled at that statement. Yeah, that was a death wish. "Maybe not. But I bet you can find a way to overcome it."

"How though…?"

Eric stopped and began to think. How could she? Obviously, having her get eaten more would only freak her out. She would have a panic attack and not know what to-...An idea came.

"You should be prepared for it." Melody looked at him questionably. "If you knew what is to come and know how to get out of the situation, you won't be afraid. It'll be like: 'Oh no, I'm stuck here. But I know how to get myself out alive!'"

"That...could work…"

"For starters, you have your wand. You can cast spells and get yourself out. Just...be sure to not hurt yourself when doing so." She nodded in understanding. "If that doesn't work, just kick and punch. That has to cause _some_ damage. And even if all that does not work, at least we know for now that we are strong enough to get each other out before it swallows." Melody shuddered at that last word. Just the pronunciation is enough to give her chills.

"So overall, if you can't get yourself out, we'll be here for you. If you keep all that in mind, you'll be safe no matter what." Melody relaxed. He was right. When she was eaten, Eric and Lilo got her out instantly. Reassured, Melody finally showed a tiny smile as all tension and fear from earlier seemed to have melted away.

"Right...thanks, Eric. And...also thanks for...understanding."

"Of course. You can always trust me, Mel. I would never let anything hurt you. Not even myself." Melody let out a tiny chuckle at that statement.

"So...does this mean she'll be fighting with us again?" Eric and Melody looked up. Scratch and Lilo stood in the doorway. Lilo looked concerned while Scratch smiled a bit. Lilo walked up to the bedside and gently held Melody's hands.

"Heh...I'm okay now, Lilo. Our great leader has once again kept us all together." Smiling a tiny bit, she tousled Lilo's hair.

"So...you're afraid of getting eaten?" Melody looked to the side after hearing Scratch question that. "Honestly? I don't blame you." Melody blinked and now looked at Scratch. "So don't think we'll judge harshly or make fun of you for it. Not even I was _that_ cruel."

"We also brought you some dessert." She showed her a small glass cup of strata sundae, an item dropped by the moles. "We're all here for you, Melody. Really." Melody looked down at the sundae, then to the rest of the team, who smiled warmly at her.

She showed a small warm smile back. "Thanks, guys...I'll...I'll always be here for you too."


	17. You Look Out for Yourself, You Get Hurt

The team chatted as they exited Wayward Woods and approached the castle's gate. But they stopped when they reached it. Eric stepped forward, eyes wide. The doors were wide open and the gate's bars were bent.

"That looks bad," Scratch pointed out. Eric quickly rushed in with Melody and the rest following. Inside, the lights were dim as most candles were out. However, everyone could see the damage. Chandeliers were dangerously close to falling, candle stands have fallen over, carpet and curtains were torn, and there were imps hovering around.

Two imps spotted the team and immediately attacked. They mainly tried to hit them with their pitchforks, much like the mini-boss Imp the team fought to save the last face in Greenhorne village. However, they also did a new move: Dip a team member's heart in darkness. One imp looked at Eric and waved his pitchfork in a sort of incantation manner. Eric felt a sort of dark presence, trying to overtake his soul. But he refused to allow it to overcome. He resisted and attacked the imp, finishing it off.

The second imp tried the spell on Melody, but she overcame it as well. Her kind heart refused to allow any evil to enter. She then cast fire on the imp and finished it off. With the imps now out of the way, Eric ran up to Guillermo, who was on his knees and weak.

Guillermo looked up at Eric. "I...I'm sorry. The enemy was...t-too strong. A huge monster you've never seen the likes of. Please...help our king." Eric nodded and rushed into the throne room with the team following right behind him.

"H-HELP!" King Tyler flailed as a green imp approached him, sharp spear in hand. Just as it was about to strike, Eric cried out, "HEY!" The imp turned around and looked at Eric. It hissed and prepared to attack him instead. This Naughty Imp was tougher than the two normal imps earlier. Much like the last imps though, it tried to focus on dipping their leader's heart into darkness. Eric resisted every time.

Soon, they defeated the Naughty Imp and turned to King Tyler, who was sweating nervously. "You must go to my daughter's chambers! The Dark Lord is here and he headed for it! Please...you must help her." He seemed very desperate.

Eric nodded and did not hesitate to sprint to Princess Rose's chambers. The team quickly followed behind.

"So I guess you were right, Melody. He _was_ planning something," Scratch shouted as they ran.

"Let's just hope we're not too late." Eric kicked the door open, sword in hand. The rest of the team were prepared as well. Only a dark laugh was heard as a dark purple cloud phased out the window and flew off. Prince Ryuji was cowering in the corner, Leonardo was on the ground in pain, and Princess Rose had her back turned from everyone as she trembled in fear.

"...Princess..?" Eric took a step closer to her. She turned around and the whole team gasped. Her face was gone! Dark Lord Bill Cipher must've taken it.

"Good gracious me...what were those things?!" Prince Ryuji stood up, trembling. Tears then started to show in his eyes. "M-m-m...mama! I'm scaaaared! Save meeee!" He ran out of the princess's chambers like a coward and sprinted out of the castle, back to the path that lead to Neksdor kingdom.

Lilo helped Leonardo to his feet. "Dark Lord Bill...he stole my beloved's beautiful face...I saw him heading towards Nightmare Tower."

Eric questioned, "Nightmare Tower?" He looked at Melody, hoping she would know.

"I've...never heard of such a place here. Lilo?" She looked at her, believing maybe it was in Neksdor kingdom. She shook her head no.

Scratch then spoke up. "Hey uh, guys? You might want to take a look at this…" The team went to his side at the window. Their eyes widened when they saw a large tower, almost as tall as the castle, just peering over the trees in the deepest part of the Northern Wayward Woods.

"No one has been there in ages...it's as deep as a canyon down there and there's little to no life," Melody stated.

"Well...there probably is now." The tower had light blue lights shining from the tiny windows, a jagged roof, and dark purple stone walls. It looked nightmare-ish enough to be called as such.

Leonardo explained, using the wall for support, "Before I snuck in to see the princess, I saw it being built. Kind of...came up with the name myself."

"Seems fitting to me…" The rest of the team nodded to Melody's statement.

"I am scared...but I must pursue the foul fiend!" The team looked to Leonardo, all showing an expression that wordlessly said, "Wait, what?" Leonardo looked at Princess Rose and gently held her hands. Her trembling seemed to have slowed as he did so.

"Wait here, Rose...I will get your face back." He gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek, then ran out of the chamber. He then made his way to the Nightmare Tower as he shouted, "I shall save the princeeeeeess!"

Princess Rose was silent and gently holding her cheek. All fear seemed to have vanished in her form. Eric could guess what she was thinking. She was wishing Leonardo luck, keeping him in her hopes.

"That guy is gonna get _creamed_ if we don't go after him," Scratch said.

"Even though what he is doing is foolish...you've gotta give him credit for mustering up the bravery to chase after the Dark Lord for love." Melody could not help but smile. It was a heartwarming thought. Even though Leonardo is not the seemingly best warrior, he sure is a brave man. Princess Rose is lucky to know a guy like that who loves her.

"Then we should make sure that bravery isn't wasted." The team nodded to Eric's statement. Eric then turned to Princess Rose. "Don't worry, your majesty. We will help as well." She gave a small nod, in a way of saying, "Thank you. Good luck." Eric smiled a bit and the team charged out of Rose's chambers, heading for the Nightmare Tower.

* * *

Stoney floors, light fog around the dim areas, and purple crystal torches on the walls. The whole inside of the tower screamed nightmare.

"Man...this place is already giving me the creeps," Melody said.

"Y-yeah...it's like the ceiling is pressing down or something," Scratch added, after swallowing a lump in his throat. He tried to keep a small smirk on his beak though, just to show he was not intimidated by the area.

Lilo looked up to Scratch. "It's okay to admit you're scared, Scratch."

"Haha! Me? Scared? Never. Silly, Lilo." He pats her head. "This will be cake. It's fine, it's fine…" ' _I'm gonna dieeee._ '

"Still, the air is tense. Let's just find Princess Rose's face and get out of here," said Melody.

As the team continued venturing around the tower, going floor to floor, Scratch then asked himself in thoughts, ' _I wonder if it's too late to turn back now._ ' Then, he had a long thought process going. ' _Why are we even doing this anyway? We should be finding the Dark Lord and defeating him. All we've been doing these past few days was run a few errands to a king that can't even get off his throne. ...That was my whole reason for leaving behind Robotnik: to get away from all that labor and abuse. I mean sure, the king was generous, but still. I'm supposed to find Grounder and we were to head off on our own._ ' He then looked at each member one by one.

' _So...why haven't I left yet?_ '

Just as Scratch mentally asked himself that, two regular imps zipped out from the shadows and stopped the team in their tracks. Everyone got into a battle stance as they prepared to fight. One of the imps first tried to dip Eric's heart into darkness, but as always, he resisted.

The team attacked next. Eric jump-slashed one of the imps while Melody cast fire on the same one. The imp disappeared, releasing the Mii's face. The second imp then looked at Scratch. It giggled mischievously and tried to dip his metallic heart into darkness. Unfortunately, Scratch never learned how to properly resist. The second the darkness reached his heart, it took hold of him.

His eyes turned black and red as he chuckled darkly. The other members looked to him.

"Scratch? You alright, buddy," Melody asked first. Scratch looked right at her and chuckled.

"Never better, amateur mage." Melody was a bit shocked by the insult.

"What's up with you?" Just as she asked that Scratch then grabbed her, holding her with one arm and roughly rubbing her head with the other.

"AH! Hey! Scratch, let go!" She struggled in his grasp as he chuckled mischievously. ' _Little bratty girl, thinking she's all that. Look at this messy hair she calls curly. I bet it'll look better when I'm through with it._ '

While distracted, the imp then struck Eric with its pitchfork. He yelped in mild pain, then angrily turned to the monster. Melody and Scratch will have to wait. They needed to take down the monster to stop the ailment effects.

As Eric and Lilo fought, Scratch continued rubbing through Melody's hair rather roughly. "Little miss know-it-all. You think you can honestly be a good mage like Merlin himself? You'd be lucky to perform on the streets of your village. You're nothing but a pathetic cry-baby that's afraid of a silly fear that's practically impossible to experience first-hand!"

Melody was fighting a bit harder now, holding back the tears. She was not giving him the satisfaction of seeing them. She wanted to use her spells to fight him off, but at the same time, she did not want to blast Scratch in the face with a fireball.

"You couldn't even tell that I never really wanted to be part of this stupid team. All we've been doing is running around, doing errands when we could've been out there finding my brother! We've been running more behind because of you and your little cry-baby actions." The noogies were coming harder now. Melody was worried he was going to break the skin now.

"S-Scratch, stop please!" Her voice was strained. She was trying really hard now to fight back her emotions and Scratch.

"I wanted to just join in for the food and gold. Then when the time was right and I could find my brother? You'd all be nothing but dust in the wind to me! No way was I going to get involved in a fight that was a death wish." Melody was shocked. That...that can't be true.

Eric and Lilo finished off the imp just after Scratch said all that. Once the imp was gone, Scratch's eyes turned back to normal and he blinked in confusion. He looked down at Melody, who looked hurt in his arms, physically and emotionally. She had mild bruises from trying to fight against his metal body. And after all he just said? Her eyes were misty and showed clear emotional pain.

The memories came back as Scratch let go of Melody. Melody had a lot going through her mind now. But one thing screamed in her mind the most was "betrayal." She looked at Scratch, with fire in her eyes.

"What!" Scratch stumbled back in mild fear as she then leaped at him.

"Were! You! Thinking?!" She had him pinned on the ground, holding him by the front of his chef outfit. Eric and Lilo grabbed her, each holding an arm, and pulled her off of Scratch.

"You were going to DITCH us?!"

"N-no no! Well I mean uh, maybe I _was_ back then, but it's different now. I-I-"

Melody broke out of Lilo and Eric's grasps. "OH. No no NO, Scratch! This time you really pushed it too far! I'll put up with your spicy food and lack of sympathy sometimes, but knowing you were going to ditch us when we need you? Everyone's LIVES are at stake with Bill Cipher running around now and all you care about is yourself!"

A dark glare showed from Melody...one no one would believe she would ever show. It sent chills down Scratch's spine as he looked at her. "Hope you're proud of yourself. You wanna go off and fulfill your own needs? The door's back there." Her head nodded in the direction of the entrance/exit. She then picked up her wand and stormed ahead.

Lilo quickly followed, calling out to her. Eric just looked at Scratch with disappointment. "I welcomed you because you needed help...and _we_ needed help."

"...But...it was my only chance."

"To do what, Scratch? Fake friendships so we could take you where you need to go and leave us in the end when we'll need you most? Some friend." He quietly went forward as well, catching up with the girls.

Scratch quietly stood there, alone in the darkness of the tower. Tears showed on the brim of his eyes. His chest ached with such a pain he never felt before. His stomach twisted up a bit. He then finally figured out what this emotion was.

' _Guilt. ...That's what this is. ...I've gotta try and make this right._ '

He ran forward, in hope that he can still catch up with everyone...and fix the trouble he caused.


	18. Forgiveness Is Earned

"Melody, you can't honestly just let him go and leave him to defend himself."

"That's what he wanted in the first place, Lilo. And who am I to deny his wish?" Melody's voice was laced with malice. Her hand was gripping her wand as it was glowing orange-red.

Eric finally caught up to Melody and stopped in front of her. "It's true what Scratch planned was cruel, but do you think he still wants to now?"

Melody's expression softened. "Eric...you heard all he said."

"But his heart was dipped in darkness. He probably didn't mean all he said."

"He could have resisted too."

"Well, able to resist or not. Don't you think if he still wanted to leave, he would've done it already? We had plenty of gold. We were past the castle. He would've been free to run off to Neksdor kingdom days ago. ...But he didn't."

Melody quietly looked down, holding her wand with both hands now. The orange-red glow died down as she let out a sigh. "You may be right...but it still doesn't change the fact that he intended to leave us. ...I'm not forgiving him. Not yet, at least."

She walked past Eric, looking out for monsters. Eric let out a small sigh, but he was satisfied that her anger simmered down. He and Lilo followed behind her once more.

"Guys, wait up!" The three members stopped and looked back. Scratch caught up with them, panting. Melody showed a small dark glare, but not as intense as earlier. Eric and Lilo showed neutral expressions.

"Look, I'm really sorry for what happened. Okay, it is true that I wasn't planning to stick around, but it's different now. I do still want to help you guys...since you helped me."

Lilo and Eric looked at each other. "It's your call, leader," Lilo stated. Eric sighed and walked up to Scratch.

"You're still part of our team, but you're now on probation."

"What's 'probation'?"

Melody answered, going up to Scratch and pointing her wand at his beak. "It means if you screw up again, you'll be scrap." Scratch swallowed nervously, looking down at Melody's cold eyes.

Eric pushed her back and gave her a small glare. He was not going to tolerate his teammates turning against each other.

"What Melody means is that you'll be closely watched over for any slip-ups or signs of real betrayal. Firstly, you won't be holding onto any gold yourself. If you want to buy something, you have one of us accompany you. Secondly, you'll be fighting harder than you were before. You'll only be in Safe Spots if absolutely necessary."

Scratch was a bit upset about these rules. He does not need to be watched over like some toddler. ...But if it meant gaining their trust and forgiveness, he does not have any other choice. "I...understand."

"Good. Now let's keep moving. Hopefully, Rose's face isn't too far now." Eric headed forward with Melody by his side. Lilo followed behind them and Scratch stayed in the back of the group.

As the team climbed the tower up, more monsters continued attacking. Mainly they were Imps and Banshees. Any ailments, including the Evil ailment, that was inflicted on one of the members were rid of when they were moved to the Safe Spot.

While they fought the monsters, Scratch kept trying to come up with ways to help fix his relationship with Melody. Out of all the members, Melody seemed the most resentful to him. First, he tried to attack with her. That did not last long as she stated, "I can finish them off myself, thank you."

After a few battles, Scratch noticed Melody was low on health but was too focused on fighting to notice. Scratch decided to use one of his HP bananas and make a banana fritter for her. Once it was made, he showed it to her. She looked up at him questionably.

"I uh...saw you were low on health." Melody looked back down at the banana fritter and quietly ate it. Her health was fully restored.

"...Thanks." Her expression softened when looking at him, but nothing more. Scratch smiled a bit though. He was making progress.

The team continued battling as they went floor to floor. Melody also learned a new spell, which was Enlarge Weapon. When one of the members planned to physically attack, she would make their weapon twice their size to cause more damage.

They also faced a couple new monsters. One was a Mage Goblin. This goblin was stronger than any regular goblin and it knew magic. Nothing too challenging for the team, though. Another monster was a Lightning Cloud. It was like a Cumulus monster, only angrier and used lightning. They were pretty strong, but the team pulled through.

Scratch also got to learn a new move: Feast. Now he could heal all team members, including himself. Surely that will come in handy. Eric and Lilo also learned the Spin Slash. Now they could attack all enemies with a swift spinning slash of their swords.

Once they were one floor away from the top, the team decided to take a break to regain some lost strength and health. Scratch cooked a feast while the rest munched on their candy. Melody was still unhappy with Scratch, but it was not as malicious as it was before. In her kind heart, it was telling her to reconsider being angry with Scratch. But her head was telling her that he deserved what was coming.

Speaking of Scratch, he sat down next to Melody, offering her the last of the feast. She only sighed, looked away, and ate.

"Melody...I really am sorry for...what happened. I promise you though. I've changed. I didn't understand it at first, but now I get it. You and the team members had me understand the importance of teamwork and...friendship? Heh...still weird saying it out-loud."

Melody was glancing to Scratch, not fully looking at him. But her expression did seem to soften. Scratch continued, "Look...okay, it was true I didn't originally plan to stick around. But I only wanted to leave so I could find my brother. Aside from you guys...he's the only friend I had left in the world. ...I just wanted to make sure he was okay."

Melody was now looking at Scratch. "Scratch...I-"

But she stopped when the team heard a voice. "Princess Rose! Raaaargh!"

Lilo spoke up. "That's Leonardo!"

Eric then said, "Come on, team!" Everyone got up and quickly ran up the stairs to the last floor. They stopped in their tracks when they spotted Leonardo in battle with the monster that held Princess Rose's face. It looked like a pink-furred gorilla with general armor. Despite its somewhat outlandish look, it appeared really strong.

When Leonardo attacked, his punches had no effect. General Rose only chuckled at Leonardo's feeble attempts. It then spoke, saying, "What beauty. To think the Dark Lord would grace me with such a face!" Its voice was a mix of Princess Rose's voice and a gruff male.

"Give it back!" Leonardo kept trying, but his punches still did no good. General Rose chuckled again and replied, "This face is mine now. I will never give it back!"

Leonardo did a battle cry and tried harder. Still no effect. General Rose grew annoyed and said, "This is getting sad." It stomped right up at Leonardo, having him gulp nervously. With a smirk, it held its fist close to his face.

"Bye-bye." It then flicked Leonardo, with a high amount of strength, away. Leonardo went flying past the team and SLAMMED into one of the stone pillars. He collapsed on the stone cold floor, falling unconscious. Lilo and Melody gasped, quickly going to his aid.

Eric turned the monster and immediately got into a battle stance. Scratch joined his side as well as the rest of the team. General Rose looked at them and laughed. "Well well. More peasants that dare challenge me? I'd like to see you try and take me down."

The team immediately began to fight. Jump slashes, flambés, and fire. Of course, all their attacks caused real damage. General Rose quietly growled and attacked next. They basically punched member by member, causing a good deal of damage.

"You're stronger than I thought...but let's see how you handle this." They put their fingers in their mouth and whistled. Two imps then showed up to the monster's side.

"Oh, you've gotta be kidding me," said Melody. Eric looked at the team. "Melody, use your explosion spell. Scratch, flambé General Rose. Lilo, you go for the left imp and I'll go for the right." The team all nodded to the battle strategy and attacked as such.

The imps were soon down and General Rose was growing weak. The monster then looked at Melody. Her health was a bit low, but with a solid winding punch, she'll go down. Scratch noticed the look it was giving Melody and his eyes widened.

A sort of protective instinct kicked in Scratch as General Rose powered up a punch and charged at Melody. Eric and Lilo shouted for her to watch out, but she was then shoved out of the way. Scratch then took the hit for her, literally falling to pieces and his health dropped to zero.

"SCRATCH!" Melody scrambled to her feet, going to his side. He was unconscious. She looked right at General Rose, fire forming on her wand.

"You. Will pay for this!" She appeared unusually focused as a fiery hot ring formed around her. Eric and Lilo lent her a hand for this move. Melody then cast a LARGE fireball right at General Rose. With that attack, the monster fell, releasing Princess Rose's face and disappearing.

Melody panted, becoming light-headed from using so much energy in her magic. But she fought against it and turned to Scratch's pieces. His tail feathers were de-attached, his beak fell off his face, and there was a really deep dent where his stomach was.

Eric and Lilo quickly went to Melody's side. Eric checked Scratch for any sign of life as Melody hugged his body, tears forming in her eyes. "Scratch...why?"

Despite not being attached to his face, Scratch's beak spoke as he said, "Because you mean a lot to me now…all of you do..." Melody looked at it and quietly picked it up. Scratch weakly took it and reattached it to his face.

"B-but...how…?"

"It's...ngh...not the first time I've...been in pieces...it got easier putting myself back together...with each accident." Melody still held him in her arms as he looked weakly up at her.

"I can't believe you took that hit...you could've died."

"No...YOU could've died. I'm just a robot...you can repair me...but you can't raise the dead."

Eric looked at Melody. "Judging by that hit...yeah, Mel. That could've broken your whole rib cage or something."

Melody had Scratch's dented body lay on her lap as she held his head. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she said, "Scratch I...I'm sorry I was angry with you. I was upset about you possibly leaving...but I should've considered your feelings. Family is important and all and-"

Scratch stopped her by putting a winged finger on her lips. "No...you had the right to be angry. I'm the one who should be really sorry. You guys were the closest thing I had for family…"

That was when Melody allowed the tears to flow. She hugged Scratch close and he tried to hug back as Lilo helped reattach his tail feathers. Eric also went to Leonardo's side and checked him over. Surprisingly, the worst injury he got was a really bloody nose.

Leonardo opened his eyes a bit and looked up at Eric. "Is...Rose's face…"

Eric patted his shoulder. "Yeah. It's heading to the castle now. She's safe. ...You were brave."

Leonardo smiled a bit and fell back into unconsciousness. Eric picked him up and went to the team. He tapped Melody's shoulder and said, "We should get out of here before the Dark Lord comes. We'll find a way to fix Scratch."

Melody nodded and helped Scratch to his feet. She offered him one of her HP bananas and it gave him strength. The team then exited the tower and headed to the castle.

"...Hey, Scratch?"

"Y-yeah…?" He looked down at Melody, who continued supporting him. She took a small breath and looked up at him with a small smile. He could not help but smile back. He missed her smile.

"I forgive you."

.

.

.

Sorry, it took so long to get this up. Spring and Easter break plus school work got in the way. But yay! Forgiveness and ohana conquer all.


	19. Family

But just before they could exit, a dark familiar cackle rang out, echoing through the halls. The team looked up and to the right. Just as they feared: Dark Lord Bill Cipher loomed over them.

"Sooo, you've defeated one of my loyal servants. There goes my good mood." He frowned as he pointed at them. "You will pay for this. Oh yes, you will pay!" Then with a dark cackle, he formed into a large purple cloud and flew out of the tower.

The team looked at each other and ran outside, looking up at the sky to see the cloud fly off.

Melody shouted, "He's heading to the east!"

Lilo added, "That's Neksdor Kingdom."

Eric looked down at unconscious Leo, then to beaten-up Scratch. "We should get back to the castle and check on Princess Rose first. Then fix up Scratch and Leo."

"We'll have to hurry then." Eric nodded to Melody's statement and the heroes began heading back to the castle.

On the way, Leo let out a small groan and opened his eyes. He squinted a little by the brightness of the sun and looked up at Eric, who was still carrying him. Eric looked down while still walking.

"Hey. How are you feeling?"

"Well...a little better, I suppose. Thank you for saving me." He then frowned and looked down. "But this time, I was worse than useless…"

Eric now frowned, hearing that statement. "Nobody is ever useless. If anything, you were brave to stand up to a strong enemy."

Leo thought that over, then smiled a little, looking back up. "At least the princess is safe. Do...you think you can put me down? I think I can walk now."

Eric nodded and set him down. Leo held his head but shook away the lightheaded feeling. He then turned to the team and smiled. "Let us check up on her." Everyone nodded in agreement and continued to the castle.

* * *

Princess Rose stood beside the distressed King Tyler. King Tyler was munching away on a royal roast, hoping it will keep him calm. But then, Rose's face gently flew in and reattached to Rose.

Princess Rose blinked, then brightly smiled. "Father! They did it!"

King Tyler smiled brightly. For the first time, he discarded his food and picked up his daughter, hugging her close. "Oh, my sweet Rose. I'm so glad you're okay."

Rose smiled brightly and hugged him back. She hasn't seen him so affectionate since...her mother has been around. A memory of the past almost made her frown but seeing her father smiling kept her joy.

Then, the heroes and Leo all arrived at the Throne Room. "Princess Rose!"

"You're okay!"

"Thank goodness."

Princess Rose turned to the team and warmly smiled. King Tyler set them down, greeting them with the same smile. Princess Rose then stated, "Oh thank you! You don't know how good it feels to have my face back!"

King Tyler added, "You've come through for us again, it seems. The least we can do is reward you! Guillermo, if you please."

Guillermo approached the heroes and held out a large bag of gold. It contained 1500 gold! Both Melody and Lilo replied with, "Whoaaaa."

Eric then stated, "Sire...surely we couldn't…"

"I insist! You four have done more than enough for me and the kingdom of Greenhorne. As I stated, it is the least we can do."

King Tyler then looked to Leonardo and stated, "We're most impressed with you as well, Leonardo."

Leonardo blinked, looked to his left and right, then pointed at himself. Was he really referring to him?

"But...your majesty. Truly, I did nothing." He looked down in shame. "Not like these heroes. I wasn't able to defeat the monster that held the princess' face captive."

"Nonsense!" Leonardo looked up, a little confused and shock by the king's statement. He continued, "We saw you rush off to save the princess in her hour of need. Defeated the beast or not, that took much courage, young man. As much courage as my fellow knights have."

"And in light of your noble, selfless deed…" The king looked down at his daughter, then to Leonardo. He then warmly smiled as he finished with, "Well, we might see our way to allowing your relationship with the princess."

Both Princess Rose and Leonardo gasped, looking up at King Tyler then to each other.

"Father?"

"Your majesty?"

They both then stated at the same time, "Do you truly mean that?"

King Tyler just smiled and nodded. Leonardo looked at Rose and smiled brightly. "Oh, Rose!"

"Oh, Leo!" She then leaped into his open arms and he held her close. Both were smiling brightly as hearts showed around them. Then, gazing into each other's eyes, they shared a kiss.

Eric wasn't a fan of mushy love stories, but this one was an exception. He quietly applauded while Scratch cheered by going, "Oh hooray! Yay! Three cheers for the happy couple!" He was, of course, careful with himself since he was still injured. Lilo giggled and applauded as well. Melody was applauding but had a few tears running down her cheeks.

"Mel, are you okay?"

"*sniff* Yeah...I just love happy reunions and relationships like these. Makes one feel warm inside." She rubbed her eyes, still smiling.

The king was even getting a little teary-eyed as he continued munching on his roast, trying to keep himself together. "*ahem* But seriously, that Prince Ryuji. What a pathetic specimen he turned out to be."

"I wouldn't say that...but yeah. Leo and the princess deserve each other," Melody said with a smile.

"A-greed," Lilo stated with a firm nod.

"Definitely," Eric nodded.

"Grrr...mama…" Prince Ryuji was right outside the Throne Room, overhearing this. A couple tears ran down his cheeks and he rubbed them away in anger. He then stormed off and away from the castle.

"We are greatly indebted to you. Now give that Dark Lord what for! Off with you." Eric nodded to the king's order, but then blinked, looking back at Scratch.

"Will do, but um...could one of your knights help fix my friend, by any chance?"

"Oh yes of course! Guillermo, bring forth one of our scientists."

"Yes, sir!"

Melody smiled up to Scratch, who smiled in return. "Once you're all patched up, we'll head to Neksdor Kingdom."

Lilo then began to smile brightly. "Maybe we'll finally find Stitch there!"

"And Grounder!"

"I sure hope so," Eric replied.

Once Scratch was patched up and healed, the team trekked through Arid Frontier. With fewer monsters in the way, the journey felt a bit shorter as they were nearing Neksdor Kingdom.

"Eric! If you'd just wait a moment, sir!" The team turned around, soon greeted by Guillermo, panting.

"Whew. Guillermo of the castle guard, sir." He stood tall and saluted. "You are about to enter Neksdor, the neighboring kingdom. Do be careful, sir. The king also wanted me to let you know the same."

"Thanks, Guillermo."

"And thank you for all you've done for us." Guillermo smiled warmly to Melody's statement. He then stated, "Now, I must return to the castle! By your leave!" He then turned around and ran back in the direction of Wayward Woods to the castle.

The team continued forward, entering unknown territory. Upon entering a new area, they encountered 4 Nose Rocks.

"Ready, Lilo?"

"Let's do this, leader!" Joining together, they did a Spin Slash on the Nose Rocks, knocking them flat and releasing the faces.

"Nice one, you two." Melody gave them a thumbs-up while Scratch clapped. The two warriors took a bow, looking to each other and laughing a little.

As they continued, they encountered more enemies. New ones even. Such as a Mage Goblin. But that didn't stop the team. Their strong attacks were enough to take them down. Explosions, Flambés, Jump Slashes. They continued on, strong.

Come later, the sun began to set. Eric looked up, shielding his eyes from the bright setting sun. "It's getting dark."

Melody squinted, looking ahead. "I don't see any inns nearby either."

"We'd better set up camp then." The team nodded and began setting up. Scratch gathered a few rocks and wood to make a fire pit. Eric set up the tent. Lilo began preparing the supplies for dinner. Melody kept an eye out for any monsters nearby.

As the moon shone in the sky, the team gathered around the fire pit, eating their food. It mostly consisted of Goblin Ham and Choc Rocks. Only Eric ate the Choc Rocks though. He enjoyed their hard texture and chocolatey flavor. Scratch, on the other hand, hated it. Lilo wasn't a huge fan either. Melody would've enjoyed it more if it was softer. And of course, no one liked the Cotton Candy.

Eric smiled, looking at his team members, and said, "All we need now is a bit of banter. How about a scary story?"

The team looked at each other but shrugged. Sure, why not?

But little did they know, Eric had a good one up his sleeve. Melody looked intimidated as she tucked her knees up. Lilo huddled close to her while Scratch shook a little.

"And then...she heard a voice. It whispered to her from the darkness."

"Who was it…?" Scratch sat beside Melody now, hugging her.

"The voice, creaking like a coffin lid, then said…'Where...is...my...FACE?!'"

"Eee!" Scratch let out a small yelp while Lilo yelped a little as well, but giggled. She seemed to enjoy the story. Melody nervously chuckled. "G-good one, leader."

As the team chatted through the night, they soon grew tired and fell asleep for the night, all together. The sun then rose, waking everyone up.

Eric cracked his back, letting out a small groan. "Shouldn't have slept on the rocky ground…"

Melody rubbed her eyes, looking up to him. "Well, on the bright side, we didn't get ambushed and got a decent night's rest."

"True."

They then encountered more monsters. But this time, Imps were involved. One even dipped Lilo's heart into darkness. But before she could lash out like Scratch, Eric moved her to the Safe Spot and stayed there to snap her out of it.

"You gotta stay with us, Lilo. Ohana never gets left behind right?"

Lilo paused, then blinked. Her eyes turned back to white and her pupils were brown once more. "R-right. Or forgotten!"

Eric smiled. "There's the warrior I know." The two were soon back in battle, finishing off the enemies.

"Nice work big br–leader!" Melody nervously glanced to the side, scolding herself for almost slipping up.

Eric noticed it this time. "Wait...what were you going to say? Big…?"

Melody began sweating, glancing left and right. "Big...big...uh...big bread! I was in the mood for a sandwich. Silly, heat's getting to me." She then headed forward, ending the conversation.

Eric hummed, a little concerned, but shrugged. It was hot today, so maybe she's right.

It wasn't long till they found an inn and settled down. They had more Goblin Ham and prepared to rest for the night. Melody and Eric shared a room while Lilo and Scratch did the same.

Lilo looked up at the ceiling and said, "Man though. That story Eric told us last night. So spooky." She giggled.

"Y-yeah." Scratch nervously chuckled. "Though, we're not gonna endure something like that, right?"

"Not as long as we stick together as a team."

Scratch quietly nodded and laid back in bed. "...Y'know...I've never had a team like this before. So loyal, caring and determined. ...You sure we'll be okay? I don't think I want...to lose this."

Lilo sat up, now looking to Scratch. He seemed a little sad and concerned. Lilo smiled warmly and climbed out of bed. She then motioned him to sit up. He questionably does so and she reaches up, her arms open.

Scratch blinked, but smiled a little, picking her up and hugging her. Lilo then said, "We're ohana, Scratch. Nobody gets left behind or forgotten. Not even Dark Lord Bill Cipher can tear us apart so easily."

Scratch was silent for a few moments, taking this in. " _...Family...I can actually...have a family? No, me and Grounder can…?_ "

"You mean it…?"

Lilo nodded. "And when we find your brother, he'll be a part of it too. We'll all stick together."

Scratch warmly smiled and continued hugging Lilo. He could never ask for more now. Not after all the kindness everyone has given him.

Meanwhile, Melody was brushing her teeth when Eric spoke up. "You sure you've been feeling okay, Mel?"

Melody spat out the toothpaste and dried her lips with a towel. "What do you mean?"

"You were saying weird stuff earlier. And you've acted a little awkward around me. I just got worried. ...Did I do something wrong?"

Melody blinked in shock. "No no, Eric! You didn't do _anything_ wrong! I just…" Melody looked down, rubbing her arm as she walked up to Eric.

"You know how...Lilo has been considering us...o-ohana lately?"

Eric smiled warmly. "Of course. And y'know, I don't think I can have it any other way right now. Not after all we've been through so far. As well as what we will continue to do. Why?"

Melody took a deep breath, "Well...I was thinking...a-about how I consider you all...family as well. Like, titles in a sense. And I..." Melody looked up at Eric, who was showing a curious expression.

Melody shut her eyes. "I...likedconsideringyouasabrother!"

Eric blinked. That was a little fast, but he faintly understood what she said. Especially the last word. 'Brother.' "You...consider me as a brother?"

"A...big brother, yes. B-but if you don't like to be called that or like having me as a sister, that's fine! I don't want to have you be uncomfortable with something like–" She then froze when she felt a tight embrace.

Eric was smiling very brightly now. "Are you kidding? I'd love to have you as a sister. ...I've never had one before, and you've done a lot for me. As long as you're okay with it, I'd like to be your big bro."

Melody had a couple tears showing in her eyes, but they were tears of relief. Of joy. She smiled and hugged back. "I'd love that."

Greater bonds were built that day. From a simple team to a strong family. They all felt the same determination; a determination that told them that they can win. They can face any challenge and come through victorious. For Miitopia and themselves.

...But unfortunately, a dark being saw this bond. He knew it will be his downfall if he did not put a stop to it.

As the team rested peacefully in their beds, a purple cloud seeped under the doorframe and began flying upstairs.

A glass shattering noise was heard, waking Lilo up. "Mm...Scratch? Are you getting a midnight snack again?" Lilo looked over at the bed, but blinked in surprise, seeing a sleeping Scratch. Or at least, he was asleep.

He groaned as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. "Lilo, what is it now?"

"I...thought I heard something."

Scratch yawned and laid back down, "It was probably Eric's story getting to ya. We're fine."

Lilo quietly sat there, thinking that over. But before she shrugged and laid back down, she gasped, seeing a purple cloud phase into the room. "What is…?"

Then, from the cloud, a very large purple hand appeared. Lilo knew that hand. "SCRA–" Her mouth was then covered as she muffled. She struggled, but it tightly gripped her, lifting her out of bed.

Scratch groaned and sat up, "Lilo, why–" He then gasped, seeing her. Another hand then appeared and lunged at Scratch, causing him to scream.

Melody was the only one that heard him scream. She mumbled and sat up. "Scratch…?" She climbed out of bed, wand in hand. ' _Did he have a nightmare or something? Or is it a monster?_ ' Melody quietly peeked out of the room, ready to check.

She walked to Lilo and Scratch's room, wand up. "Scratch? Lilo?" It was eerily quiet and mildly dark. Lightning would flash every now and then outside as a storm began to loom over the inn.

"Guys?" Melody quietly opened the door to their room but blinked in surprise. It was empty. Did she enter the wrong room?

" **Peek-a-boo~** "

Before she could turn around, she was then picked up by a large hand. She screamed, dropping her wand on accident from the shock. She was then swiftly brought out of the inn and held 30 feet in the air, just next door to the inn.

"Melody!" Melody looked to her right and gasped. "Scratch! Lilo!" The two heroes were struggling in the one large hand that gripped the two heroes.

A very dark cackle was heard behind Melody and she turned her head to see who her kidnapper was. Just as she feared: Dark Lord Bill Cipher.

"L-let us go!"

"But why would I do that? You little pests have been getting in the way, helping your leader and all." He then tossed Melody up and down in his hands like she was a baseball, causing her to scream a little.

"I _was_ thinking of just killing you off here and now. Oh, there were so many ways to do so. Some fast, some slow. A couple involving a few fears." He bared his sharp teeth, looking down at Melody and bringing her close to his face.

"You leave Melody alone, you jerk!" He looked at Lilo and Scratch now and showed a smug smile.

"You're right. It'd be a bit boring to finish you off now and end my game. But I figured I'd just take a few pieces from the board and even the playing field." He then dumped Melody into the hand that held Lilo and Scratch and gripped all 3 of them tightly.

He then raised his free hand up, gathering magic into it. He then snapped his fingers, encasing the inn in the same magic. Until after a few more seconds, it faded.

"What did you do?!"

"Well princess, I just put a curse on your precious 'big bwother.' Now he'll be back to square one. Powerless, jobless, and useless!"

Lilo angrily struggled more, "You monster!"

"Let us go now," Scratch shouted now, struggling.

"Mmm...okay. If you insist." He then drops them, causing them to scream. But just as he let go, he then grabbed Scratch's leg, catching him. Scratch quickly grabbed Melody's leg and she grabbed Lilo's leg. Dark Lord Bill laughed at that.

"Better hang on now~. It's a long flight to my home. Or should I say **your new home** as well." He laughed maniacally and began flying off, leaving the three members to hang onto each other.

"ERIC!"

"HEEEELP!"

But Eric was stuck asleep. While the curse began changing him, a sleep spell was also put on him so he couldn't hear their cries or wake up until morning.

The other members continued screaming for help until the inn was out of sight. Tears ran down their faces, worried for themselves and especially their leader.

Eric was left behind.


	20. Starting Over

Eric mumbled, rubbing his eyes. He got plenty of sleep and yet it was not peaceful. He heard screaming...maybe in his dreams? Hard to say. He sat up with a stretch and glanced to the other bed. Empty.

" _Mel must be making breakfast downstairs…_ " He climbed out of bed and reached down to grab his helmet and sword. But he froze when he felt his hand grab nothing but air. He looked down, seeing his helmet, armor, and sword all missing. He went on his hands and knees and checked under the bed. Nothing.

He stood back up, confused. He then exited the room and headed to the lobby. "Hey guys, have you seen my–" He stopped. The lobby was empty. No signs of breakfast being made. The team's stuff wasn't there either.

He ran back upstairs. They couldn't have left without him. Surely they wouldn't! He ran into Lilo and Scratch's room. "Guys?" But it was empty. He was about to check his room once more for Melody, but he stopped, feeling something at his feet. He looked down and picked it up. His heart dropped.

Melody's wand.

She _never_ leaves without it. Panicking, he ran back to his room, calling out to them.

"Melody? Guys? This is seriously not funny!" Everywhere he was checking, there was no sign of them.

"Okay haha, very funny. You got me. Can you guys come out now?" He was hoping this was all a prank. He didn't care if it was now. He just needed to know that they weren't gone.

" **Ho ho. You're not having the best of times, are you?** " Eric froze and dug through his pockets. He pulled out the antique charm, seeing it was softly glowing.

"Spirit? What's going on?"

" **I'm afraid the Dark Lord Bill Cipher came while you were sleeping. He spirited your friends away. Even** _ **I**_ **can't tell you where he has taken them.** "

Eric's blood ran cold. No...no...no no no no! He ran around the inn more, calling out their names more desperately. He then ran outside, shouting for them again.

"Scratch?! LILO! MELODYYYY!" His voice echoed through the land.

...But no answer came.

Eric dropped to his knees. Tears started to show in his eyes. He then fell forward, slamming his fist to the ground. He felt anger. Anger towards Bill Cipher for doing this. He felt worried. Worried for his team members that were now in his clutches. But worst of all…

He felt alone.

Lilo...Scratch...his _sister_...they're all gone and probably faceless by now. And here he was, all alone. He tried not to sob, but a few sniffles were heard as he sat up, covering his face.

" **Eric. If you hurry, you might still be able to save them.** " Eric blinked, then rubbed his eyes. The spirit is right. This was no time to curl up and cry. His team was in danger and he needed to save them.

" **This might be a bad time to tell you this as well, but Dark Lord Bill Cipher also put a curse on you and sealed your powers.** "

"...He whaaaaat?!" As if Bill Cipher wasn't torturing him enough by taking away his teammates. Now he's no longer a Warrior?! How is he going to face the monsters and the Dark Lord now?

" **Worry not, Eric. Knowing that it will be difficult to face the Dark Lord like this, I will grant you a new job!** " Magic swirled around Eric and the same panels from before appeared in front of him. The only difference with them is that the Warrior one is gone and there were 3 new ones.

" **Oh, I also added a few new jobs for you to try. So choose well.** " Eric nodded and looked at his options. The new ones had different symbols. A paw, a dark purple trident, and a beaker with some strange bubbling liquid. The name underneath the paw was "Cat." Under the trident was "Imp." And finally, the beaker had the name "Scientist."

Eric was still fond of his Warrior power...but since that was gone, he'll have to go for the next favorite. He pressed his hand on the Scientist button. Back home, he always worked hard to be smart and science was his favorite subject. The experiments and concoctions he could create. It always intrigued him.

In a flash of light, his outfit changed. He wore a white lab coat with a black button shirt underneath as well as black pants. He also had a sort of ocular eye patch over his right eye. For his weapon, he had a flask with bubbling red liquid inside.

" **Very well. Now go forth, Scientist Eric!** " The voice fades as Eric looked back at the inn, then to the path ahead.

"Hang on team. I'm coming." He headed forward, picking his pace up to a sprint.

* * *

"Ugghh…"

Melody sat up, rubbing her head. It felt like it was pounding. The last thing she remembered was Dark Lord Bill Cipher snatching them up. Then he…

She gasped and looked to her team. She shook Lilo. "Lilo. Lilo, get up!"

"Mm...Melody?" She sat up, rubbing her head as well.

"I'm right here. Are you okay?"

"A little sore...but at least we're not dead." She tried to smile, offering the bright side of the situation. But it faded when she shivered and leaned into Melody, huddling for warmth. "K-kinda cold though…"

Melody looked around, holding her close. "Yeah...it is a bit cooler where we are." Melody finally got a good look at the area. There...wasn't much. It was like the Riverdeep Cavern, but with less crystal clear water and Banshees. Not to mention the swirling shadows all around. There doesn't seem to be anything for miles except that. But the floor beneath them gave off a small soft glow at least, keeping the area illuminated.

Scratch sat up now with a groan. "My head's killing me…" He then blinked and looked around. "Wait...where are we?"

"Wherever we are, Cipher must've dropped us here."

Lilo's eyes then widen. "Wait, what about Eric?" Melody and Scratch froze. That's right. He didn't get captured like they did. He's alone! Without a team!

Lilo stood up, getting out of Melody's arms, and picked up her sword, which was dropped off along with the rest of the team's equipment. Guess Dark Lord Bill didn't want Eric to find them at the inn and use them in place of his Warrior class. He really is starting at square one.

"We gotta find him!"

"But Lilo, we don't even know where we are or how far away are we from him. If we leave, we might get killed." Melody stood up, looking concerned.

"He's our leader and he needs us! What about ohana?!"

"He can take care of himself." The two stopped, looking to Scratch. He continued, "Knowing Eric, he's a really tough guy. He'll find us."

"...Scratch is right. Knowing Eric, he'll want us to be safe until he finds us. And if he was able to start off his journey with nothing, then he can do it again. The guardian spirit should help him too. Maybe Great Sage Merlin."

Lilo hesitated, but sighed, looking down. "...I do trust in him. ...But I can't help but worry."

Melody and Scratch sat down beside Lilo. "We're worried too...but big bro can get through any challenge you can throw at him. He'll be okay. I have faith in him." Melody showed a small reassuring smile.

Lilo sits down, keeping close to the two, quietly nodding. She then closed her eyes, leaning against Melody. Scratch looked at Melody, now a bit concerned. He then softly asked, "You sure he'll be okay without us?"

Melody wrapped an arm over Scratch's shoulders, pulling him into a side hug and keeping Lilo close. "Of course." " _I hope…_ "

Scratch nodded and the two looked up, watching the twinkling lights around them.

"...Wait, did you just call him 'big bro'?"

* * *

Eric trudged through the Neksdor Desert. He was on the west side, seeing tall cactus after tall cactus. He sighed, dreading the silence looming in the air aside the soft howling of the desert wind and the sound of his footsteps going across the sand dunes. He missed the team's banter and conversations.

He then jumped back, startled, as a monster appeared. It was a Scaredy Scorpion. A really big scorpion though. One hit from its stinger may as well instantly kill him from its poison. But then he remembered this is Miitopia. Scorpions may be different here.

Starting back at square one, he couldn't do much against it except whack it with the flask...which surprisingly didn't break. It, of course, attacked back with its stinger. It hurt, but at least it wasn't poisoning him. The two continued fighting until Eric came out victorious.

He wiped his forehead, not realizing how hard it is to fight without a team and back at square one. How did he get through his first monsters like this?

He continued trudging along the desert as the sun began to set. He has done a lot of walking, alone and in silence, and there has been no sign of civilization. The only thing he encountered after that scorpion was a sort of towering cactus monster. That battle ended with a few pricks in his coat. A couple were even embedding his skin. On the plus side, he did learn a new move: Glitch.

As the sun continued setting, Eric stopped to regain his focus. It was still hot and he's been walking all day, alone.

"' _Hey Eric.' He looked back and saw Melody toss him a bottle of water to help him cool down._ "

" _Melody giggled excitedly as she tried out her Explosion spell for the first time._ "

" _The team sat together at the table in the inn, enjoying dinner._ "

Eric sighed. "Well...hopefully, they'll be okay without me. The team's usually pretty strong." He wiped his forehead and looked down. "How did I get mixed up in all this…?"

He then froze, hearing growling coming from his left. He looked in said direction and spotted a small patch of cacti. Behind it was something blue. Was it a monster?

"Hello…?" Eric slowly and cautiously approached, flask armed and ready. As he got closer, the creature came into view. It looked like some sort of monster...but not at the same time? It actually looked like some sort of mix of a koala with a french bulldog. It was around 3 feet tall and had long blue ears with a small cut on the bottom end of the left one. It also had very sharp teeth within its mouth, a short, stumpy tail, claws, whiskers, and blue fur.

The odd creature was gnawing on a dry, prickle-less piece of cactus, trying to get some sort of nutrition out of it. Much like how a dog would gnaw on a bone. It must be hungry due to how skinny the poor thing looks.

"Hello there…" The creature looked up, questioning who was there. Eric curiously tilted his head. "All by yourself, huh?"

The creature paused, then growled. Its fur stood up a bit, showing that it was threatened by Eric's presence. And if Eric stepped closer, he was sure it would attacked. Eric put his hands up and took a step back.

"H-hey, it's okay. I don't mean any harm." The creature continued softly growling but lowered its defensive stance. It kept its eyes on Eric, watching him carefully.

Eric, recalling how hungry the creature appears to be, carefully digs through his pack. The creature growled a little louder, but Eric kept looking. He then pulls out a small tray of Slime Jelly. He carefully knelt down and slid it towards the creature.

The creature stopped growling, looking at the dish curiously. It cautiously stepped close, sniffing it. It glanced back up to Eric, then to the dish. Licking it, the creature decided to try it. Its eyes sparkled as it began wolfing it down. Seems it loves it.

Eric smiled a little, seeing the creature satisfied. It finished the dish and looks back up at Eric. It stared at him for a few moments, then…

"Takka!" It then leaped up and jumped on top of Eric, having him fall on his back.

"Wh-wah!" Eric certainly wasn't expecting that. Then, to add to Eric's surprise, the creature started licking his cheek affectionately. Eric started to laugh. "Wh-hey! Stop, th-that tickles!" He picked the creature up while sitting up, still laughing. "D-down, boy! Hahaha!" He set the creature down in front of him as it stopped and looked up at Eric, smiling a little.

"Well, you're quite the friendly creature. Certainly friendlier than the monsters that I've encountered. What are you doing at this part of Miitopia?" The creature then frowned a little, ears drooping.

"Looking…" Eric blinked in surprise. He didn't think it would actually answer. In English no less. But he frowned, seeing its sad expression.

"For what?" The creature then held out a small picture it was holding onto in its own inventory. Eric took it and looked at it.

"Family." Eric's eyes widened when he looked over the picture. It was a picture of the creature with a young woman and...Lilo. Eric looked up.

"...What did you say your name was?"

"Stitch." That confirmed it. This is who Lilo was looking for before. If only she was here. They'd have quite the reunion. He was smiling brightly though, happy he found Stitch for Lilo. Now when he finds her, he'll fulfill his promise.

Stitch tilted his head, wondering why Eric looked so happy. "That's right. Stitch!"

"How do you know name?"

"I've seen your friend. Lilo, right?" Stitch's eyes seem to have widened at the mention of her name. He propped himself up on his hind legs and pushed himself up on Eric's lap.

"Ih! Ih! Where?!"

Eric frowned. "I...don't know. She was with me before, but the Dark Lord took her." Hope disappeared from Stitch's eyes and was quickly replaced with anger. He growled, going back on all fours and turning away from Eric.

"Dark Lord...that aka choota."

Eric wasn't sure what that meant, but it sounded like a swear. Stitch then turned back around, looking up at Eric. "Why you here?"

Eric replied, "I'm off to look for my friends...Lilo included, so we can take down the Dark Lord."

Stitch hummed, looking down and thinking, then looked back up at him. "Let Stitch come too. Stitch can fight."

It has been tough traveling and fighting alone. On top of that, Lilo's been looking for Stitch. There was no way he could deny or even hesitate letting him on the team. He nodded and Stitch gave him an appreciative smile.

Eric looked to the setting sun and frowned. "We'd better find an inn then. It'll be dark soon."

"Stitch know where inn is! Salsa." He heads forward. But he then stopped when Eric looked at him questionably on the last word he stated. "Stitch means 'follow me.'" He continued forward.

"Oh." Eric quickly followed. It wasn't long till they reached an inn. Eric sighed with relief, glad to be back in the cool, safe atmosphere of the inn. Eric split his rations with Stitch and the two ate together.

"So what exactly is your job?"

Stitch glanced to the side and mumbled, "Cat."

"Is that anything to be ashamed about?"

"Stitch prefer dog. ...But no dog job." Eric nodded. He supposed that made sense. The two then settled in for the night, sharing a room. Stitch fell asleep immediately. It has been a while since he slept in a comfortable bed. Meanwhile, Eric struggled to sleep. He kept staring out the window, thinking about the team.

"...Please be safe, guys. I'll find you as soon as I can."

Meanwhile, Melody stared up at the twinkling lights, struggling to sleep as well. Scratch and Lilo were leaning against her, resting.

"...Be safe, big bro. We'll find each other soon."

The two then laid down and finally rested for the night.


End file.
